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Portuguese to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Slang / Texto teatral (monólogo) - Monologue
Portuguese term or phrase:Ai, que aflição!
Hi,
I've found this expression in a monologue and searched in all tools I have, I couldn't find any similar expression in English. It's a very common expression in Portuguese - BR to show anxiety, agony when one doesn't know what is going to happen or how and suffers because of that.
Any help will be welcome!
Thanks in advance.
I tend to agree with you, but occasionally a bit of a free-for-all is a good thing. Personally I have to admit that all of the answers fall between crap and the script from a school play, but what the hell, It's a laugh ;-)
The term could be translated in so many different ways and in the end the Translator will have to make a very subjective call on what she feels is the best fit for the context....not my cup of tea.
Hello,
Yes this piece is set in 2000 and the character is a homeless but you have to keep in mind that the author criticizes the social and political conditions of the country through the character, here you'll have an idea of the text:
"There was a candidate who persisted that he was my father. Come on, have you ever seen such a thing? Come on! Would I be the son of a politician? They came and said:
- This man is the father of the barefeet!
It has already showed up here the father of the poor, the father of the shirtless, the father of the barefeet... There are plenty of politicians who want to be fathers."
The piece in question where the expression appears is this one, the question marks show the place where the expression should be:
"But she didn’t calm down.- I didn't know if I should put a hand and pull, if I should wait... people kept on looking around and didn’t do anything. They didn’t even give an opinion. Stupids. Finally the little one put the head outside to take a look...I didn’t know if I pulled the head, if I pressed the woman’s belly… ???? That’s why I prefer dogs, everything is more efficient with them."
Hi Kashew,
This text was written in 2000 and the context in this part is a woman giving birth and the character is frightened because he has to help without knowing what to do, they are waiting for the doctors but the baby is coming so he has to make the childbirth.
Explanation: 2010 January - 9:51am
Oh, how agonizing. I hate disney music. It sucks. I'd seriously listen to Andreas Holmgren (me) – The Worst Song Ever (Bleeding Ears Remix) for the rest o http://hellbean.com/wp/2010/01/
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-11-29 14:54:44 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
19-month-old run over in Macon | The Augusta Chronicle - Care2 ...
Nov 26, 2010 ... How agonizing for the driver of the vehicle. Prayers go out to the family and friends of the child. send green star | flag as inappropriate http://www.care2.com/news/member/299692686/2660321
Marlene Curtis United States Local time: 20:50 Native speaker of: Portuguese PRO pts in category: 28
1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
Oh, how distressing that is!
Explanation: Sug.:
Airton J Souza Brazil Local time: 21:50 Native speaker of: Portuguese PRO pts in category: 4
Explanation: Em primeiro lugar, cabe observar que, assim com foi descrito (e bem) o uso de "aflição" já é idiomático. Serve, ou servia, para nervosismo, ansiedade, pânico, etc., a palavra da moda, especialmente entre mulheres (e não adianta tentar acusação de sexismo porque marmajo não ia sair por aí dizendo que estava com aflição). Consequentemente perdeu um pouco o sentido, do mesmo modo que, hoje em dia, nos Estados Unidos, a palavra "awesome" é tão (ab)usada que perdeu completamente a conexão com a palavra "awe" (mais ou menos, admiração respeitosa). Como não há uma expressão de gíria correspondente, que use um substantivo (*), o jeito é usar uma expressão com verbo+adjetivo.
(*) Nenhuma americana usaria a construção "Oh what XXX!" de forma tão natural quanto uma brasileira diria Ai, que aflição!
coolbrowne United States Local time: 20:50 Native speaker of: English, Portuguese
Explanation: Sylvester, a trusted colleague, also suggests "Sufferin' succotash!" which, according to the learned Wikipedia, is "a minced oath of Suffering Savior."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 40 mins (2010-11-29 14:23:09 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
e.g.:
"Bother," said Pooh. "I need a Zoloft."
"Bother," said Pooh, "it's your husband, and he has a gun."
"Bother," said Pooh, "Piglet tastes like chicken."
"Bother," said Pooh. "I'm a boneless bear."
The translation workplace 
