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  3. Ships, Sailing, Maritime

mexer

English translation: fiddled

13:19 Nov 5, 2007
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Ships, Sailing, Maritime / segurança
Portuguese term or phrase: mexer
Por favor, uma sugestão para "mexeu" na frase abaixo"

"Quando ele mexeu no painel, a máquina voltou a funcionar inesperadamente".
Marcia Galdi
Portugal
Local time: 12:22
English translation:fiddled
Explanation:
When he fiddled about with the panel, the machine unexpectedly started functioning.

Something like that.

Perhaps you could say 'played' about - but 'fiddled' sounds good :)

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Note added at 7 mins (2007-11-05 13:26:40 GMT)
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Fiddle:
2 mexer ou tocar nervosamente um objeto.
Selected response from:

R. Alex Jenkins
Brazil
Local time: 08:22
Grading comment
Thank you :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2fiddled
R. Alex Jenkins
4shake
Michael Powers (PhD)
3"touched"
Beta Cummins


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
shake


Explanation:
When he shook the panel

Mike :)

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Note added at 4 mins (2007-11-05 13:23:18 GMT)
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Olha o significado 5

mexer
verbo transitivo, intransitivo e reflexo
1. to stir, to move, to shuffle, to budge;
2. to fidget, to twitch, to hitch;
3. to touch, to handle;
4. to meddle (with a thing), to mix, to stir, to churn;
5. to shake

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 07:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
"touched"


Explanation:
When he touched the control board the machine workded again, unexpectedly.

Beta Cummins
United States
Local time: 07:22
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 7
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
fiddled


Explanation:
When he fiddled about with the panel, the machine unexpectedly started functioning.

Something like that.

Perhaps you could say 'played' about - but 'fiddled' sounds good :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2007-11-05 13:26:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Fiddle:
2 mexer ou tocar nervosamente um objeto.

R. Alex Jenkins
Brazil
Local time: 08:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thank you :-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henrique Magalhaes
4 hrs
  -> Thanks! It gives the impression that the person is messing around without knowing too much about what they are doing, hence the 'unexpected' part of the translation.
agree  aspirante
4 days
  -> Thanks very much :)
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