The door to the kitchen opened and the nigger came in. “What was it?” he asked. The two men at the counter took a look at him.

“All right, nigger. You stand right there, ” Al said.

Sam, the nigger, standing in his apron, looked at the two men sitting at the counter. “Yes, sir, ” he said. Al got down from his stool.

“I’m going back to the kitchen with the nigger and bright boy, ” he said. “Go on back to the kitchen, nigger. You go with him, Bright boy.” The little man walked after Nick and Sam, the cook, back into the kitchen. The door shut after them. The man called Max sat at the counter opposite George. He didn’t look at George but looked in the mirror that ran along back of the counter. Henry’s had been made over from a saloon into a lunch-counter.

 

apron [`eı pr∂ n] opposite [`op∂ zı t]

 

“Well, bright boy, ” Max said, looking into the mirror, “why don’t you say something (почему ты не скажешь что-нибудь)? ”

“What’s it all about (что все это значит: «о чем все это»)? ”

“Hey, Al, ” Max called, “bright boy wants to know (хочет знать) what’s all about.”

“Why don’t you tell him (что же ты ему не скажешь)? ” Al’s voice came from the kitchen (отозвался голос Эла из кухни).

“What do you think it’s all about? ”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you think? ”

Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking (все время, пока говорил).

“I wouldn’t say (я бы не сказал, не скажу, пожалуй, не знаю).”

“Hey, Al, bright boy says he wouldn’t what he thinks it’s all about.”

“I can hear you, all right (я могу слышать тебя, в порядке, хорошо = не кричи, я и так слышу), ” Al said from the kitchen. He had propped open the slit (он подпер, чтобы оставалось открытым, окошечко, отверстие: «щель») that dishes passed through into the kitchen (через которое передавались блюда на кухню) with a catsup bottle (бутылкой кетчупа). “Listen, bright boy, ” he said from the kitchen to George. “Stand a little further (стань немного дальше) along the bar (вдоль бара). You move a little to the left (подвинься немного налево), Max.” He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture (он был точно фотограф, расставляющий /людей/ для групповой фотографии).

 

“Well, bright boy, ” Max said, looking into the mirror, “why don’t you say something? ”

“What’s it all about? ”

“Hey, Al, ” Max called, “bright boy wants to know what’s all about.”

“Why don’t you tell him? ” Al’s voice came from the kitchen.

“What do you think it’s all about? ”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you think? ”

Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking.

“I wouldn’t say.”

“Hey, Al, bright boy says he wouldn’t what he thinks it’s all about.”

“I can hear you, all right, ” Al said from the kitchen. He had propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the kitchen with a catsup bottle. “Listen, bright boy, ” he said from the kitchen to George. “Stand a little further along the bar. You move a little to the left, Max.” He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture.

 

move [mu: v] arrange [∂ `reı ndż ] picture [pı kt∫ ∂ ]

 

“Talk to me (поговори со мной, побеседуем), bright boy, ” Max said. “What do you think’s going to happen (что, как ты думаешь, сейчас произойдет)? ”

George did not say anything (не сказал ничего).

“I’ll tell you (я скажу тебе), ” Max said. “We’re going to kill a Swede (мы сейчас убьем шведа, мы собираемся убить шведа). Do you know a big Swede named Ole Andreson (ты знаешь большого = здорового, длинного шведа по имени Оле Андресон)? ”

“Yes.”

“He comes here to eat every night, don’t he (он приходит сюда поесть каждый вечер, не так ли)? ”

“Sometimes he comes here (иногда он сюда приходит).”

“He comes here at six o’clock, don’t he? ”

“If he comes (если приходит).”

“We know all that (мы все это знаем), bright boy, ” Max said.

“Talk about something else (поговорим о чем-нибудь другом). Ever go to the movies (когда-нибудь ходишь в кино)? ”

“Once in a while (изредка: «иногда в промежуток времени»).”

“You ought to go to the movies more (ты должен бы ходить в кино больше = чаще). The movies are fine (прекрасно, отлично) for a bright boy like you.”

“What are you going to kill Ole Andreson for (за что, для чего вы хотите убить Оле Андресона)? What did he ever do to you (что он вам такого: «когда-либо» сделал)? ”

“He never had a chance to do anything to us (у него никогда не было возможности сделать что-нибудь нам). He never even seen us (он даже никогда не видел нас).”

“And he’s only going to see us once (и он увидит нас только однажды), ” Al said from the kitchen.

“What are you going to kill him for, then (тогда)? ” George asked.

“We’re killing him for a friend (для друга). Just to oblige a friend (просто, всего лишь, чтобы услужить, сделать приятное другу), bright boy.”

“Shut up (заткнись), ” said Al from the kitchen. You talk too goddam much (ты говоришь слишком чертовски много).”

“Well, I got to keep bright boy amused (ну, мне же надо, я же должен развлекать умника: «сохранять, держать его развлекаемым»). Don’t I, bright boy? ”

“You talk too damn much, ” Al said. “The nigger and my bright boy are amused by themselves (сами развлекаются). I got them tied up (я их связал) like a couple of girl friends in the convent (как парочку подружек в монастыре, в монастырской школе).”

“I suppose you were in a convent (значит, ты был в монастыре: «я предполагаю, ты был в монастыре»)? ”

“You never know (может, и был: «никогда не знаешь»).”

“You were in a kosher convent (ты был в кошерном монастыре /т.е. в хедере, в школе при синагоге/). That’s where you were (вот где ты был).”

 

“Talk to me, bright boy, ” Max said. “What do you think’s going to happen? ”

George did not say anything.

“I’ll tell you, ” Max said. “We’re going to kill a Swede. Do you know a big Swede named Ole Andreson? ”

“Yes.”

“He comes here to eat every night, don’t he? ”

“Sometimes he comes here.”

“He comes here at six o’clock, don’t he? ”

“If he comes.”

“We know all that, bright boy, ” Max said.

“Talk about something else. Ever go to the movies? ”

“Once in a while.”

“You ought to go to the movies more. The movies are fine for a bright boy like you.”

“What are you going to kill Ole Andreson for? What did he ever do to you? ”

“He never had a chance to do anything to us. He never even seen us.”

“And he’s only going to see us once, ” Al said from the kitchen.

“What are you going to kill him for, then? ” George asked.

“We’re killing him for a friend. Just to oblige a friend, bright boy.”

“Shut up, ” said Al from the kitchen. You talk too goddam much.”

“Well, I got to keep bright boy amused. Don’t I, bright boy? ”

“You talk too damn much, ” Al said. “The nigger and my bright boy are amused by themselves. I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the convent.”

“I suppose you were in a convent? ”

“You never know.”

“You were in a kosher convent. That’s where you were.”

 

Swede [swi: d] oblige [∂ `blaı dż ] convent [`konv∂ nt]

 

George looked up at the clock.

“If anybody comes in you tell them the cook is off (если кто-нибудь придет, ты им скажешь, что повар ушел: «свободен /от работы/, на перерыве»; off – указывает на удаление или прекращение чего-либо), and if they keep after it (а если они будут настаивать), you tell them you’ll go back (что ты пойдешь на кухню: «в заднюю комнату») and cook yourself (и приготовишь сам). Do you get that (ты понял: «получил» это), bright boy? ”

“All right, ” George said. “What you going to do with us afterward (что вы сделаете с нами после)? ”

“That’s depend (это зависит = смотря по обстоятельствам), ” Max said. “That’s one of those things you never know at the time (это одна из вещей, которые никогда не знаешь в данное время = заранее)."

George looked up the clock. It was a quarter past six (четверть после шести = четверть седьмого). The door from the street opened (дверь с улицы открылась). A street-car motorman came in (вошел трамвайный вожатый).

“Hello, George, ” he said. “Can I get supper (поужинать можно: «могу я получить ужин»)? ”

“Sam’s gone out (вышел), ” George said. “He’ll be back in about half an hour (он вернется примерно через полчаса).”

“I’d better go up the street (я, пожалуй, лучше пойду вверх по улице = пойду еще куда-нибудь), ” the motorman said. George looked at the clock. It was twenty minutes past six.

“That was nice (это было славно /проделано/), bright boy, ” Max said. “You’re a regular little gentleman (настоящий маленький джентельмен).”

“He knew I’d blow his head off (он знал, что я ему голову снесу = прострелю; to blow – дуть), ” Al said from the kitchen.

“No, ” said Max. “It ain’t that (не поэтому, не в этом дело). Bright boy is nice. He’s a nice boy. I like him (он мне нравится).”

 

George looked up at the clock.

“If anybody comes in you tell them the cook is off, and if they keep after it, you tell them you’ll go back and cook yourself. Do you get that, bright boy? ”

“All right, ” George said. “What you going to do with us afterward? ”

“That’s depend, ” Max said. “That’s one of those things you never know at the time."

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