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pai da pátria

English translation: the country's father-figure (figurehead)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:pai da pátria
English translation:the country's father-figure (figurehead)
Entered by: Marsel de Souza

19:26 May 21, 2002
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents
Portuguese term or phrase: pai da pátria
Poucos conseguiram conter o populismo nos limites de um rito de passagem para coisa melhor. O amado pelas ruas, o PAI DA PÁTRIA, é mais amor a si mesmo do que escravo da pátria, mais senhor da pátria do que servo das ruas.
Marsel de Souza
Brazil
Local time: 06:48
the country's father-figure (figurehead)
Explanation:
Please note that I didn't say "father of the country" because that would be more like George Washington or Simon Bolivar whereas here we seem to be dealing with the demagogue of the moment.

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Note added at 2002-05-21 20:46:02 (GMT)
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The beloved of the streets, the father-figure of his country, is more in love with himself than a laborer for the people, more the master of his country than a public servant
Selected response from:

Theodore Fink
Local time: 05:48
Grading comment
Thank you everybody! Very insightful explanation, Theodore!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1the country's father-figure (figurehead)
Theodore Fink
5Nation's Father
Antonio Costa (X)
5The figure loved by the man on the street, the father of the nation loves
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
4Father of the land
Maria Luisa Duarte
4Father of the Nation
Fernando Muela Sopeña
4Father of his native land
Enza Longo


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Nation's Father


Explanation:
OK

Antonio Costa (X)
PRO pts in pair: 78
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the country's father-figure (figurehead)


Explanation:
Please note that I didn't say "father of the country" because that would be more like George Washington or Simon Bolivar whereas here we seem to be dealing with the demagogue of the moment.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 20:46:02 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The beloved of the streets, the father-figure of his country, is more in love with himself than a laborer for the people, more the master of his country than a public servant

Theodore Fink
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 337
Grading comment
Thank you everybody! Very insightful explanation, Theodore!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): Lord versus Serf? laborer for the people? come on Theooooodore...:)
1 hr
agree  SLavor
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, SLavor
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Father of the land


Explanation:
this could be it

Maria Luisa Duarte
Spain
Local time: 11:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 1916
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Father of the Nation


Explanation:
Or "Father of the country". There are more than 7000 hits in Google.
I hope it helps.

BBC News | SCOTLAND | 'Father of nation' dies - [ Traduzca esta página ]
... His tireless work earned him the title of "father of the nation" although he frequently
played down his contribution in a typical self-deprecating manner. ...
news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/ newsid_966000/966880.stm - 37k - En caché - Páginas similares

Pasquale Paoli, The Father of the Nation - [ Traduzca esta página ]
Pasquale Paoli, u babbu di a patria
www.pasqualepaoli.com/english/babbue.htm - 7k - En caché - Páginas similares

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman- Father of the Nation - [ Traduzca esta página ]
Sponsored and Organized by Mozahed Alam Email :Mozahed Alam. Copyright © 1999.
All rights reserved by Mozahed Alam. Last Updated 03/02/2002.
members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3m8n9/right.html - 4k - En caché - Páginas similares


Fernando Muela Sopeña
Spain
Local time: 11:48
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Theodore Fink: This is the most obvious translation hence the hits on Google. But they show this to mean something far different than that being used in this sentence. This "father" is far from the elevated figure described in your quotes. It is actually ironic.
1 hr
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Father of his native land


Explanation:
just the way I would translate it

Enza Longo
Canada
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 545
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
The figure loved by the man on the street, the father of the nation loves


Explanation:
himself more than he loves being a slave to the nation, and is more the lord of the nation than a serf to the streets.

Perdão, mais a traduções dadas para a duas expressès sem o contexto fariam que seria impossível traduzir toda a frase, que foi a minha tentativa. Tentei manter o equilibrio e poesia do original. :)

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Note added at 2002-05-21 20:54:23 (GMT)
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EXPRESSÕES!

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Note added at 2002-05-22 00:50:26 (GMT) Post-grading
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Theodore,
I just don\'t see how anyone of the single phrases will fit into a coherent whole. I just am SURPRISED that no one got the gist of the whole thing which revolves around the Lord (senhor) serf (servo) relationship. OK, You can say: master/slave, lord/serf, whatever. But there has to be an opposition. I don\'t see how servo can be public servant in this context. Here is a direct gloss: The figure that is loved by the man on the street, a figure who is also the father of the nation loves himself more than he loves being a slave to the nation [to be the father of the nation, you have to be the \"slave of the nation\"\'] BUT what is actually happening is that this same guy is the Master of the nation much more than he is indebted to the those that admire him from the street. Also, I don\'t AT ALL see where laborer of the streets comes from.
You can see that I am not disparaging MORE obviously, if you check my remark on your translation: incumbency perpetuation.

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Note added at 2002-05-22 01:04:25 (GMT) Post-grading
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Also. by translating it as the country\'s figure-head I believe one betrays the Portuguese. The whole sentence points to a person, man, guy, who has a series of qualities. If you say figurehead you lose the immediacy of the pai da patria. father of the nation or whatever, is not a figurehead, it\'s the person considered to be the father of the nation. A figurehead stands for something else, This guy embodies the damn thing. See what I mean? I just see people - over and over - giving answer FOR WORDS and not ideas within a context. Your translation is fine but I just don\'t think it keeps the flow of the original and I just really didn\'t see where laborer of the streets fits in.
is more in love with himself than a laborer for the people
I think the Portuguese says: is more in love with himself than he is a slave to the country. By leaving out the slave, the whole idea of master/slave thing gets whitewashed. An implicit reference to Hegel?
By the way, i wouldn\'t have bothered with all this if I didn\'t think you were very worthy. All those ooooo\'s in Theodore meant admiration!!!

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3273

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Theodore Fink: Hi Jane: I thought we were friends... Re your disparaging remarks to this and to the preceding question: I far prefer my "Master" to your "Lord" and my "laborer" to your "slave". And why "serf to the streets" and not "public servant"?
1 hr
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