Nov 23, 2011 02:05
12 yrs ago
Portuguese term
France
Por/Sp/Cat/Fr->En, IoLDipTrans, MACantab
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, Spanish to English, English, and 2 more.
Nesses casos
Portuguese to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Text on sea turtles
Perhaps I am just making a meal out of this, but I'm a bit unsure of my translation of 'nesses casos' in the following text which is on sea turtles.
"Com ancestrais terrestres, esses animais passaram por várias modificações ao longo de sua evolução, garantindo a sobrevivência e a adaptação a novos ambientes. Algumas espécies permaneceram vivendo em terra; outras buscaram a água doce ou migraram para o mar.
***Nesses casos***, a carapaça, por exemplo, tornou-se mais curta, achatada e mais leve, ganhando formato hidrodinâmico; as patas se transformaram em nadadeiras. Tudo para que se movam na água com mais eficiência."
I can see from the Portuguese that 'nesses casos' refers to the two types of turtle which went sought out fresh water or the sea. But does 'in the last two cases' sound right? 'Latter' doesn't work because there are three types, even though in the Portuguese there's a division between two and not three. 'In the latter case'? Or just find another way of saying it? In these/those cases sounds vague. Thanks for your help!
"Com ancestrais terrestres, esses animais passaram por várias modificações ao longo de sua evolução, garantindo a sobrevivência e a adaptação a novos ambientes. Algumas espécies permaneceram vivendo em terra; outras buscaram a água doce ou migraram para o mar.
***Nesses casos***, a carapaça, por exemplo, tornou-se mais curta, achatada e mais leve, ganhando formato hidrodinâmico; as patas se transformaram em nadadeiras. Tudo para que se movam na água com mais eficiência."
I can see from the Portuguese that 'nesses casos' refers to the two types of turtle which went sought out fresh water or the sea. But does 'in the last two cases' sound right? 'Latter' doesn't work because there are three types, even though in the Portuguese there's a division between two and not three. 'In the latter case'? Or just find another way of saying it? In these/those cases sounds vague. Thanks for your help!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
4 hrs
Mark Robertson
Native in English
Translations by lawyers for lawyers
Native in: English 
Works in: Portuguese to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
44
Selected
In the latter two cases
There are two main cases land or water. The second case breaks down into two sub-cases, so latter does work.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Nick!"
+3
1 min
Arthur Godinho
United States
United States
Native in Portuguese
&
English
Works in field
United States
Always looking forward to new challenges
Native in: Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian) , English (Variant: US)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
in these cases
sugg.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Emiliano Pantoja
: in such cases
22 mins
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Grato, Emiliano.
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| agree |
Nicole L. R.
: in such cases
7 hrs
|
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Obrigado, Nicole.
|
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| agree |
Verginia Ophof
15 hrs
|
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Obrigado, Verginia.
|
+1
2 hrs
Martin Riordan
Brazil
Brazil
Native in Portuguese
&
English
Brazil
Brazilian lawyer - 40+ years in Brazil
Native in: English (Variants: Scottish, British, UK, Irish, US, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand) 
, Portuguese (Variants: Brazilian, Mozambican, Angolan, European/Portugal)
Works in: Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
19
One of these cases
I think that "Nestes casos..." doesn't sound right in the original text, because the author is referring to one specific example of "these cases", not to "these cases" in the plural.
"(As) An example of one of these cases, the carapaça, became shorter..."
"(As) An example of one of these cases, the carapaça, became shorter..."
+2
5 hrs
Lucy Phillips
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Elegant precision - published writer
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, English, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
When this happened
I might be tempted to add a 'however' in the previous phrase: 'some continued to live on land; others, however, sought fresh water or migrated to the sea. When this happened (or in these cases...) etc'.
I think the rest of the sentence will make it clear that the watery turtles are being referred to rather than the landlubbers!
I think the rest of the sentence will make it clear that the watery turtles are being referred to rather than the landlubbers!
8 hrs
Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Each translation a gem!
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
100
Portuguese term (edited):
Nesses casos,
In the water, (See explanation)
This is a solution that avoids the predicament that you raise.
HOWEVER, that said, I don't think you have a problem to begin with. It's interesting that you (and we) assume that the text refers to both salt and fresh water turtles, when in fact the source is as vague in Portuguese as 'these' would be in English. It could also refer to just the turtles that go out to sea. The text is ambiguous. My rule is that if the text is ambiguous in the original, keep it ambiguous in the target. So I would probably say 'In these cases' - but that doesn't respond to your concern.
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Note added at 16 hrs (2011-11-23 18:34:05 GMT)
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If you think it's both kinds of water, based on your familiarity with the text, this solution would work. If you're not sure, then you would have to stick with 'these'. I would NOT get specific and say 'in the salt water' because that could be wrong.
HOWEVER, that said, I don't think you have a problem to begin with. It's interesting that you (and we) assume that the text refers to both salt and fresh water turtles, when in fact the source is as vague in Portuguese as 'these' would be in English. It could also refer to just the turtles that go out to sea. The text is ambiguous. My rule is that if the text is ambiguous in the original, keep it ambiguous in the target. So I would probably say 'In these cases' - but that doesn't respond to your concern.
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Note added at 16 hrs (2011-11-23 18:34:05 GMT)
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If you think it's both kinds of water, based on your familiarity with the text, this solution would work. If you're not sure, then you would have to stick with 'these'. I would NOT get specific and say 'in the salt water' because that could be wrong.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Georgia Morg (X)
: wouldn't it just be "nesse caso" if it referred to salt water? a genuine question
1 hr
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|
Please read my explanation. My answer was based on the asker's interpretation; she assumed that it's both. My own interpretation is that the text is ambiguous. My preference would be 'these,' which preserves the ambiguity.
|
1 day 6 hrs
Nick Taylor
Native in English
Portuguese to English, English to Portug
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese
Related KudoZ points
:
119
in these particular cases
in these particular cases
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