Archive for the year 2008
Brazilian Profile: Beatriz Milhazes Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 5, 2008
Beatriz was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1960, and grew up in Copacabana. She got her degree in journalism and went on to teach math at a local high school. But when she was twenty, she got into the School of Fine Arts of Rio, and discovered her love of art. She is now…
Translating Idiomatic Expressions: Part II Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 3, 2008
This series on idiomatic expressions is taken from this Brazilian humor site, so the translations are not mine. Plus, the idea of translating them word for word is to show how idiomatic expressions are only understandable in context, and can be very funny if translated literally. We have to understand the meaning behind the expression…
Green Colonialism? Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 3, 2008
One of the hot topics in Brazil this week is the case of Swedish millionaire Johan Eliasch. In 2007, he purchased 1,600 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest from an American logging company in order to create a protected area. His NGO, Cool Earth, “sells” half acres to those concerned with the environment, promising to…
Enjoar Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 2, 2008
The verb enjoar has three principal meanings. We can conjugate enjoar de or use it as estar enjoado. 1. to feel nauseous Ela está enjoada. Deixa ela sentar. She’s nauseous. Let her sit down. Ficaram enjoados depois de ir na montanha russa. They felt nauseous after riding the roller coaster. Enjoei muito porque comi o…
Man Makes Money Off of Pet Vulture Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 1, 2008
A man from a rural part of Minas Gerais is making lots of money off of his pet urubu (vulture), Loira. Loira, which means blonde girl in Portuguese, appears at special events for R$1,200 per appearance. Loira’s owner, Célio Luiz da Silva, participates in paragliding competitions, where Loira’s presence is frequently requested. She even helps…
Podcast: Asking for and Giving Directions Posted by Transparent Language on May 29, 2008
Click to hear the Podcast! Today we’re going to learn how to ask for and how to give directions. Com licença, estou perdido. Estou procurando a Rua Vinícius de Moraes. Siga por esta rua aqui, direto. Vire à esquerda no próximo sinal. Depois, vire à direita. Irá ver o supermercado Sendas. Então vire à…
Translating Idiomatic Expressions: Part I Posted by Transparent Language on May 28, 2008
Conquering idiomatic expressions is an important hurdle when learning a language. That’s because these expressions do not literally translate and you have to understand what they actually mean. There are dozens in Portuguese, and when translated directly to English they sound very silly, so let’s take a look at the real meanings. 1. Chá comigo…