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  2. Portuguese to English

medianamente elaboradas

English translation: somewhat elaborate songs

11:39 Jul 3, 2003
Portuguese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
Portuguese term or phrase: medianamente elaboradas
"o escopo conceitual do popularesco abrangia (...) a) canções de nulo valor estético e nenhuma veleidade artística perpetradas por pessoas sem qualquer talento ou educação musical formal; b) canções medianamente elaboradas, escritas por indivíduos com formação erudita ou por autodidatas altaneiros como Catulo da Paixão Cearense".

What I need to know is how positive/negative this phrase is in this context.

I have come up with the phrase 'moderately accomplished' - but is this too positive?
Lucy Phillips
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:16
English translation:somewhat elaborate songs
Explanation:
are there only category A and B/ Or more? That makes a difference...


It's not the verb; it's the ADJECTIVE and it refers to the level of music theory the authors knews...I think somewhat elaborate is good because it is in opposition to complex songs or elaborate songs, musically speaking...so the authors were erudite but did not have musical erudition per se so the songs are somewhat elaborate or rather elaborate...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-03 14:07:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

medianamente elaborada is not negative- it\'s just average; an a

it can\'t be that negative if the people are ERUDITE, right? It would not collocate witht he rest of the sentence.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-03 14:08:58 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The reason the songs were somewhat elaborate is because they people were educated....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-03 19:16:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Look, there are TWO categories
A
B

A is badddd
B is kinda OK so it can\'t be poorly composed
the word for composed in Portuguese exists and was not used!!


RE moderately accomplished - yes I suppose you CAN say it like that as in
She is a very accomplished young lady. Though it usually refers to a person....:)
Selected response from:

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Grading comment
Phew! this was a really tough one, as in reality all the answers helped me out!

I've awarded the points to Jane, because she's put so much effort into answering this question! But I would like to thank everyone else too, and found Sylvia's final comment also very helpful.

Thankyou.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2poorly composed
Amy Duncan (X)
5 +1somewhat elaborate songs
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
4 +1mediocre in preparation
Michael Powers (PhD)
5poor & light songs without great musical contents
Carlos Monteiro
4medium value songs
Clauwolf
5 -1half baked
silviafont
2 +1fairly / moderately composed
Silvia Borges
2written/created without feelings/interest
isabelB_pt
1 +1acceptably
moken


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
mediocre in preparation


Explanation:
+
dicionários

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 01:16
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 3474

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carlos Monteiro
1 hr
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
written/created without feelings/interest


Explanation:
The phrase has a negative sense - they wrote the music and the lyrics rapidly and superficially without putting any feelings in it - no joy, no sorrow.



isabelB_pt
Portugal
Local time: 06:16
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +1
acceptably


Explanation:
hi lucy,

i'll be honest - i am interpreting the meaning of medianamente in spanish - i don't know if it's use in portuguese is exactly the same. if it were, then i think this would be the ideal way of putting it.

moken
Local time: 06:16
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
3 hrs
  -> gracias patricia :O)
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55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
medium value songs


Explanation:
:)

Clauwolf
Local time: 02:16
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3197
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
half baked


Explanation:
E uma expressao um poco desprejativa que acho que pode servir.(This is a rather scornful expression that might do the trick)

silviafont
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Carlos Monteiro: this expression is used only on bakery terms
58 mins
  -> I think you are wrong. The expression "half baked excuses", for instance is quite common. I suggest you look it up in a dictionary.
neutral  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): no monteiroc; half-baked ideas and your interpretation could be said to be "a half-baked interpretation"
1 hr
  -> Well, we're all just trying to help. No need to spoil the fun of this wonderful exercise. .
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
poor & light songs without great musical contents


Explanation:
Hello Lucy,

I believe that it's impossible to translate with 100% accuracy, but the idea is the one that I propose to you.

Carlos Monteiro
Portugal
Local time: 06:16
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 18
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
somewhat elaborate songs


Explanation:
are there only category A and B/ Or more? That makes a difference...


It's not the verb; it's the ADJECTIVE and it refers to the level of music theory the authors knews...I think somewhat elaborate is good because it is in opposition to complex songs or elaborate songs, musically speaking...so the authors were erudite but did not have musical erudition per se so the songs are somewhat elaborate or rather elaborate...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-03 14:07:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

medianamente elaborada is not negative- it\'s just average; an a

it can\'t be that negative if the people are ERUDITE, right? It would not collocate witht he rest of the sentence.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-03 14:08:58 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The reason the songs were somewhat elaborate is because they people were educated....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-03 19:16:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Look, there are TWO categories
A
B

A is badddd
B is kinda OK so it can\'t be poorly composed
the word for composed in Portuguese exists and was not used!!


RE moderately accomplished - yes I suppose you CAN say it like that as in
She is a very accomplished young lady. Though it usually refers to a person....:)

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3273
Grading comment
Phew! this was a really tough one, as in reality all the answers helped me out!

I've awarded the points to Jane, because she's put so much effort into answering this question! But I would like to thank everyone else too, and found Sylvia's final comment also very helpful.

Thankyou.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Patricia De Cia: That's the tone in this case.
47 mins
agree  Roberto Cavalcanti
49 mins
disagree  Amy Duncan (X): I think "elaboradas" here has the meaning of "constructed," "put together," or "composed"
2 hrs
  -> If that is what had been meant, why wasnt the very compor/compostas used?? Why elaboradas? Musicas compostas is composed....
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
poorly composed


Explanation:
.

Amy Duncan (X)
Brazil
Local time: 02:16
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 1176

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henrique Magalhaes
8 mins
  -> Obrigada, Henrique!
agree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): medianamente is "not badly composed"
3 hrs
  -> I don't think "poorly" and "badly" are synonymous here ...
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
fairly / moderately composed


Explanation:
Os compositores tinham formação erudita ou então eram autodidatas altaneiros (proud), portanto não poderiam ser poorly composed. Não há conotação negativa e sim moderada. Portanto, talvez fairly ou até moderately composed (sugestão da Lucy) se adaptaria melhor. Creio que está existindo uma associação com o primeiro tipo (a). Estas sim eram cancões que não tinham valor estético ou inclinação musical.

Silvia Borges
United States
Local time: 01:16
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 72

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): the correct English is: fairly well composed song OR moderately well composed song
2 hrs
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