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A mulher é como a sardinha, quer-se da mais pequenina

English translation: Women and Sardines: the smallest are the most desirable.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:A mulher é como a sardinha, quer-se da mais pequenina.
English translation:Women and Sardines: the smallest are the most desirable.
Entered by: Henrique Magalhaes

16:13 Jul 3, 2003
Portuguese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Portuguese term or phrase: A mulher é como a sardinha, quer-se da mais pequenina
Quanto à sardinha estou de acordo...mas quanto à mulher, pode haver excepções!
Henrique Magalhaes
Local time: 22:12
Women and Sardines - The smallest are the most desired.
Explanation:
Women and Sardines - The smallest are the most desired.

That's the translation - though I don't agreee with the statement.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-04 05:44:28 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

li.te.rá.rio
[liter\'arju] adj. literary. obra -a a literary work; lettered.

li.te.ral
[liter\'aw] adj. m. + f. (pl. -rais) literal, according to the letter; exact, true.

Don\'t know which one you meant - literary or literal

Anyways what is the best recipe for cooking sardines? I bought some large ones last week - fried them in butter and they weren\'t so good and had a lot of small bones. I\'ll have to try the smaller ones next time.
Selected response from:

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 18:12
Grading comment
Although being a litterary translation due to lack of popular equivalent in Ing. I consider this one the closest in meaning. Agree that this one has got some value only for the people that eat sardines direct from the sea since early childhood...and know the value of the smaller ones.
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5expensive perfumes come in little bottles
x-Translator (X)
4 +3"Dynamite comes in small packages"
Maria Luisa Duarte
5Women and Sardines - The littlest they are, most desired they will be.
Carlos Monteiro
5Women and Sardines - The smallest are the most desired.
airmailrpl
3Size is no synonimous for Quality
Brigith Guimarães
5 -3Women and Sardines - The littlest they are, most wanted they will be.
Carlos Monteiro


  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -3
Women and Sardines - The littlest they are, most wanted they will be.


Explanation:
Não podemos/devemos/queremos alterar o conteúdo das expressoes populares que fazem parte da cultura de um povo.
Claro que, por exemplo, esta máxima pouco dirá aos(às)nórdico(a)s, sendo característica dos latinos (cujas mulheres são as mais belas)

Assim, muito embora a tradução literal não seja a mais aconselhada, considero que seja a mais facilmente entendível.

Carlos Monteiro
Portugal
Local time: 22:12
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 18

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): this is gibberish, I am sorry but I have to say it
3 mins
  -> Correction: Women and Sardines - The littlest they are, most desired they will be.
disagree  airmailrpl: => smaller.. more desired
38 mins
disagree  silviafont: Littlest? I have been taught more than once, that the superlative for "little" is "the least", not littlest. This is the first time I see the word and I seriously doubt its accuracy.
48 mins
neutral  suesimons: The smaller they are, the more desirable they will be perhaps!
2 hrs
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Women and Sardines - The littlest they are, most desired they will be.


Explanation:
This is a very old portuguese traditional saying. It means that the portuguese men like "short" but beautiful women.

Carlos Monteiro
Portugal
Local time: 22:12
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 18
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
"Dynamite comes in small packages"


Explanation:
could be an option!

Maria Luisa Duarte
Spain
Local time: 23:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 1916

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Brigith Guimarães: good one, Maria Luísa!
5 mins
agree  Ricardo Fonseca: excellent
2 hrs
agree  Daniel Marcus: much more idiomatic.
15 hrs
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Size is no synonimous for Quality


Explanation:
Don't go for the size, but for the Quality (another suggestion);

Olha, Henrique, em alemão é fácil.... KLEIN ABER FEIN!

CIAOZINHO TO YOU

Brigith Guimarães
Portugal
Local time: 22:12
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 46

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  airmailrpl: Size is no(t) synonymous with Quality..Size is no synonym for Quality..Size is no(t) a synonym for Quality
16 hrs
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52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Women and Sardines - The smallest are the most desired.


Explanation:
Women and Sardines - The smallest are the most desired.

That's the translation - though I don't agreee with the statement.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-04 05:44:28 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

li.te.rá.rio
[liter\'arju] adj. literary. obra -a a literary work; lettered.

li.te.ral
[liter\'aw] adj. m. + f. (pl. -rais) literal, according to the letter; exact, true.

Don\'t know which one you meant - literary or literal

Anyways what is the best recipe for cooking sardines? I bought some large ones last week - fried them in butter and they weren\'t so good and had a lot of small bones. I\'ll have to try the smaller ones next time.

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 18:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3881
Grading comment
Although being a litterary translation due to lack of popular equivalent in Ing. I consider this one the closest in meaning. Agree that this one has got some value only for the people that eat sardines direct from the sea since early childhood...and know the value of the smaller ones.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Daniel Marcus: What's wrong with 'women are like sardines'?
15 hrs
  -> Do you mean they have a lot of small bones or that they are usually 'all wet' or that they smell like the fish??? - I think you are getting on dangerous ground with this statement !!!
neutral  Maria Luisa Duarte: uma bela sardinha "fresca" assada na brasa (de tamanho grande) combinada com estas paisagens é a melhor receita: http://www.rt-oeste.pt/praias.htm
17 hrs
  -> nice site
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
expensive perfumes come in little bottles


Explanation:
to paraphrase the French!

x-Translator (X)
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in pair: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Clauwolf: great
21 mins
  -> thanks :)
agree  EarlBoston (X)
26 mins
  -> thanks :)
agree  Ricardo Fonseca: another good option
1 hr
  -> thanks :)
agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
1 hr
  -> thanks :)
agree  William Stein: and hopefully don't smell like sardines!
1 hr
  -> thanks! coming from the mediterranean, I'd say women had better be nothing like sardines! LOL
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