So according to my socials this morning, this comedian guy has been thrown off Instagram for making a Barbie joke. Let’s pick it apart and extract the juicy vocabulary goodness within.
“A Mattel lançou uma Barbie com Trissomia 21, uma edição especial. Não é uma ideia original, toda a gente sabe que os chineses já vendem bonecas com defeito”
The what now?
Trissomia rang a bell but I couldn’t quite place it so I looked it up, but of course I should have just read the text below, because it’s explained there: Downs Syndrome. Oof. OK, well if you’re going to go there, you’d better make it a good joke, because people don’t tend to be very sympathetic if you’re just going to be pointlessly spiteful and cruel.
The joke hinges on the word “Defeito”. I looked it up in some Brazilian and portuguese dictionaries to see if there was a meaning of defeito that would make it gel into a joke. For example, is “defeito” a standard, non-insulting way to describe a learning disability? If so, it would still be a shitehawk joke, but at least we’d be able to see that he was going for an actual double-meaning and the the joke would just about work as a critique of Chinese manufacturing. It doesn’t seem to be though. Learning disability in portuguese is “deficiência mental”, which, if you translate it to its english cognates still sounds pretty off but obviously words have slightly different weights in different cultures, so I can only assume it doesn’t sound insulting to native speakers. When I look up “pessoas com defeitos”, all the listings relate to people who are arrogant or lazy or have some other character defect. So it doesn’t really work. I get that he’s having a pop at Chinese manufacturing but in the process I think he’s just saying people with Down’s are defective. Which just seems cruel to me.
So yeah, it’s just a shitehawk joke. I don’t think he should have been thrown off Instagram for it though. People like Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle have been making shittier jokes than that for years and they never seem to be short of work. Of course their jokes are also quite well crafted, so there’s that.
Instagram could have just left it there and let the lack of laughs and the virtual heckles act as their own negative reinforcement mechanism, but that’s not how it played out.
Translation time! This one is by Oquestrada and it’s cool. I especially like how the ghost of Ernie, the fastest milkman in the west, shows up and starts playing a pocket trumpet.
These are lyrics. I thought she was just freestyling in the middle but then realised the lyrics I was using for the translation were totally different! It’s actually an older song, from Brasil, possibly from the 19th Century, and I’d picked up those lyrics instead of the Oquestrada version. They’re really different; in fact, even the title is slightly different. Brazilians use “essa” slightly more often than portuguese people, so the name of the song is “Se Essa Rua Fosse Minha” – Essa, not Esta. Anyway, deleted it all, started again, and here you go, with the right version.
Portuguese
English
Se esta rua, se esta rua se esta rua fosse minha eu mandava-a, eu mandava-a eu mandava-a ladrilhar com pedrinhas de rubi só para o meu amor passar Ah, se esta rua, se esta rua se esta rua fosse minha com pedrinhas de rubi só para o meu amor passar
If this street, if this street If this street were mine I’d order it, I’d order it I’d order it to be paved With ruby cobblestones Just for my lover to pass by Ah, If this road were mine I’d order it to be paved With ruby cobblestones Just for my lover to pass by
Ah, lá porque és feia tem calma não te faltam seduções mais vale ser linda de alma do que linda de feições mais vale ser linda de alma do que linda de feições Ai o amor, o amor o amor é como a lua ora cresce ora mingua é Ai o amor, o amor o amor é como a lua ora cresce ora mingua ah, pois é
Ah, just because you’re ugly, calm down You don’t lack seductions It’s better to have a beautiful soul Than beautiful features It’s better to have a beautiful soul Than beautiful features Oh love, love Love is like the moon Now it waxes Now it wanes Oh love, love Love is like the moon Now it waxes Now it wanes For sure
Que bom ser pequenino ter pai, ter mãe, ter avós ah, ter esperança no destino e ter quem goste de nós e ter quem goste de nós e ter quem goste de nós Ai, é tao bom ser pequenino
It’s so good to be a child To have father, mother and grandparents To have hope in our destiny And to have people who like us And to have people who like us And to have people who like us Oh it’s so good to be a child
Se esta rua, se esta rua se esta rua fosse minha eu mandava-a ladrilhar com pedrinhas de rubi só para o meu amor passar Se esta rua fosse minha eu mandava-a ladrilhar só para o meu amor passar só para tu e tu e tu e tu e tu passar
If this street, if this street If this street were mine I’d order it, I’d order it I’d order it to be paved With ruby cobblestones Just for my lover to pass by Ah, If this road were mine I’d order it to be paved With ruby cobblestones Just for my lover to pass by
As a tremendous intellectual, I really like comics. Sorry, I mean graphic novels. I’ve said it a lot so it’s probably not a huge surprise. It was a good way to ease my way into reading portuguese and I still like to go back to the format when I fancy something easy. Bertrand has an offer on Banda Desenhada at the moment if you fancy stocking up. I quite fancy this one, myself, but I’ll probably have to find a few more. It’s not really worth ordering just one book from abroad because the P&P is quite high – you need a few to make it worthwhile.
Here’s a question that came up the other day: what’s up with the word “sobrepensar”? Or as I asked reddit:
Se não me engano, li esta palavra num contexto que deu para entender “pensar demais” (igual a “overthink” em inglês), mas isso não é o significado pois não? Quer dizer “pensar bem”.
Infelizmente não me lembro a fonte mas… Existe este significado da palavra (calão? Uma modernice?) ou será que entendi mal o que li?
It seems not to be slang, but sobrepensar has two meanings. One (the most common?) is exactly what it looks like: ‘overthink’, but it can also mean to really think about something well. This seems a tiny bit confusing since there must be situations where its hard to tell whether the person you’re describing is really thinking clearly or going into an unhelpful spiral of unhinged thoughts.
And I haven’t even heard the portuguese entry yet. Right, let’s get this up on screen and see what it’s like
Wow, it’s pretty good actually. I can’t see it winning – it’s no Amar Pelos Dois – but it’s better than the last few entries. There are some lyrics online, so here’s a translation.
First of all, the name. It should just be “Oh heart” but that sounds weird so I’m going to randomly insert the word “my” to make it sound more natural
Portuguese
English
Ai, coração Que não me deixas em paz Não me dás sossego, não me deixas capaz Tenho a cabeça e a garganta num nó Que não se desfaz e nem assim tu tens dó Sinto-me tonta, cada dia pior Já não sei de coisas que sabia de cor As pulsações subiram quase pra mil Estou louca, completamente senil
Oh my heart That doesnt leave me in peace That doesn’t give me calm, leaves me incapable I have my head and my throat in a knot That won’t untie itself and you have no pity I feel dizzy, worse every day I don’t know thigs I used to know by heart* My pulse is up to almost a thousand I’m crazy, completely senile
O peito a arder, a boca seca, eu sei lá O que te fazer, amor, pra mim assim não dá Porque parece que nem sou mais eu Ai, coração Ai, coração Diz-me lá se és meu
My chest burning, my mouth dry, i don’t know What to do to you, it’s not working out like this Because it seems like I’m not myself any more Oh my heart Oh my heart Tell me if you are mine
As horas passam e o sono não vem Ouço as corujas e os vizinhos também O meu juízo foi-se e por lá ficou Alguém me tire deste estado em que estou O doutor diz que não há nada a fazer ‘Caso perdido’, vi-o eu a escrever Ando perdida numa outra dimensão Toda eu sou uma grande confusão
The hours pass and the sleep doesn’t come I listen to the owls and the neighbours too My judgement left and stayed away Someone take me out of this state I’m in The doctor says there’s nothing that can be done “Lost cause” I saw him write about me I’m lost in another dimension I’m all in a muddle
O peito a arder, a boca seca, eu sei lá O que te fazer, amor, pra mim assim não dá Porque parece que nem sou mais eu Ai, coração Ai, coração Ai, coração Diz-me lá se és meu
My chest burning, my mouth dry, i don’t know What to do to you, it’s not working out like this Because it seems like I’m not myself any more Oh my heart Oh my heart Oh my heart Tell me if you are mine
O peito a arder, a boca seca, eu sei lá O que te fazer, amor, pra mim assim não dá Porque parece que nem sou mais eu Ai, coração Ai, coração Ai, coração Ai, coração Diz-me lá se és meu
My chest burning, my mouth dry, i don’t know What to do to you, it’s not working out like this Because it seems like I’m not myself any more Oh my heart Oh my heart Oh my heart Oh my heart Tell me if you are mine
*Why doesn’t “cor” mean colour here? Well, cast your mind back to this post a few weeks back. The lyrics of that one talk about knowing “letras de cor” – knowing them off by heart. So it’s just an old usage of cor, meaning the same as coração.
For a second there, I thought this comment in the site spam folder was an authentic fan giving me some actual praise for my Açorda attempts a few weeks back. 🙂
I’m pretty sure I’ve at least mentioned this song before because it’s so great, but I’ve never got around to doing a translation of it. Amália Rodrigues is an interesting character in her own right, and she’s had a huge influence on musicians, both traditional and avant-garde. This song is about a woman who’s lost her husband at sea and she’s sleeping on the beach waiting for him to come home and feeling like he’s still with her somehow even though everyone tells her its hopeless.
Thank you very much, Monsieur Trenet
Barco Negro (Black Boat)
Portuguese
English
De manhã, que medo que me achasses feia Acordei tremendo deitada na areia Mas logo os teus olhos disseram que não E o sol penetrou no meu coração Mas logo os teus olhos disseram que não E o sol penetrou no meu coração
In the morning, so scared that you’d find me ugly I woke up shaking, lying on the sand But then your eyes told me no And the sun penetrated my heart But then your eyes told me no And the sun penetrated my heart
Vi depois numa rocha uma cruz E o teu barco negro dançava na luz Vi teu braço acenando entre as velas já soltas Dizem as velhas da praia que não voltas
Then I saw a cross on a rock And your black boat was dancing in the light I saw your arm waving between the loose sails The old women at the beach say you’ll never come home
São loucas! São loucas! Eu sei meu amor, que nem chegaste a partir Pois tudo em meu redor me diz Que estás sempre comigo Eu sei, meu amor, que nem chegaste a partir Pois tudo em meu redor me diz Que estás sempre comigo
They’re crazy! They’re crazy! I know, my love that you never even left Because everything around me tells me That you’re always with me I know, my love that you never even left Because everything around me tells me That you’re always with me
No vento que lança areia nos vidros Na água que canta no fogo mortiço No calor do leito dos bancos vazios Dentro do meu peito estás sempre comigo No calor do leito dos bancos vazios Dentro do meu peito estás sempre comigo
In the wind that throws sand against the windows In the water that sings, in the dying fire In the bed of empty benches In my breast, you’re always with me In the bed of empty benches In my breast, you’re always with me
Eu sei, meu amor, que nem chegaste a partir Pois tudo em meu redor me diz Que estás sempre comigo Eu sei, meu amor, que nem chegaste a partir Pois tudo em meu redor me diz Que estás sempre comigo
I know, my love that you never even left Because everything around me tells me That you’re always with me I know, my love that you never even left Because everything around me tells me That you’re always with me
I posted a music video yesterday, and I’ve got a few more lined up. This one doesn’t really ave any lyrics though, so consider it a palate cleanser. Orelha Negra are portuguese band and they’ve put one of their chilled-out tracks over some footage of Vhils doing his craxy explosive artworks. I’ve talked about Vhils before a couple of times and I quite like the effect of combining the two art forms in one.
I’ve already done a translation of an Antonio Zambujo song – Flagrante – but it was in the context of a grammar lesson so I thought I’d come back and have a go at one of his others – Pica do Sete. I mainly chose it because it always bothers me. I think he’s singing about a woman who’s punching his ticket but in the video the woman is a passenger and he’s… well, stalking her, really. And at the end there’s a male conductor, so maybe she’s supposed to be narrating? I dunno, maybe spending some time really getting into the lyrics will straighten it out in my mind.
First of all, the title. As far as I understand it, “o Sete” is the number 7 tram. Pica is a bit trickier and I suggest being careful how you use it because it can mean lots of different things including a spliff (in portugal) or a penis (in brazil) so you know… handle the word with care! Anyway, in this context, it’s the ticket inspector. I think it comes from the verb picar which means to puncture something. You can read more about the life of a “pica” on Lisbon trams in this really good blog post written at around the time the song was released.
Portuguese
English
De manhã cedinho Eu salto do ninho e vou pra paragem De bandolete à espera do sete Mas não pela viagem Eu bem que não queria Mas um certo dia vi-o passar E o meu peito cético Por um pica de elétrico voltou a sonhar
Early in the morning I jump out of my nest and go to the tram stop Wearing an Alice band, waiting for the number 7 But not for the journey I didn’t really want it But one day I saw him pass by And my skeptical heart* Went back to dreaming about a tram conductor
A cada repique Que soa do clique daquele alicate Num modo frenético O peito cético toca a rebate Se o trem descarrila o povo refila e eu fico num sino Pois um mero trajeto no meu caso concreto é já o destino
Every time the bell rings When that clipper makes its clicking sound In a frenetic way The skeptic heart sounds the alarm If the tram derails, the people complain and I’m quite happy** Because, in my case, the route is the destination.
Ninguém acredita no estado em que fica o meu coração Quando o sete me apanha Até acho que a senha me salta da mão Pois na carreira Desta vida vão Mais nada me dá a pica que o pica do sete me dá Que triste fadário e que itinerário tão infeliz Cruzar meu horário com o de um funcionário de um trem da carris
Nobody believes the state my heart gets into When the number seven picks me up Until I think the ticket will jump out of my hand Because in the path That this life takes Nothing pierces me like the conductor on the number 7 What a sad fate, what an unfortunate timetable To cross my schedule with that of a tram employee
Se eu lhe perguntasse Se tem livre passe pró peito de alguém Vá-se lá saber talvez eu lhe oblitere o peito também Ninguém acredita no estado em que fica o meu coração Quando o sete me apanha Até acho que a senha me salta da mão Pois na carreira desta vida vão Mais nada me dá a pica que o pica do sete me dá
If I asked him If he had a free pass for someone’s heart Who knows, maybe I’ll invalidate*** his heart too Nobody believes the state my heart gets into When the number seven picks me up Until I think the ticket will jump out of my hand Because in the path That this life takes Nothing pierces me like the conductor on the number 7
Ninguém acredita no estado em que fica o meu coração Quando o sete me apanha Até acho que a senha me salta da mão Pois na carreira desta vida vão Mas nada me dá a pica que o pica do sete me dá Mas nada me dá a pica que o pica do sete me dá
Nobody believes the state my heart gets into When the number seven picks me up Until I think the ticket will jump out of my hand Because in the path That this life takes Nothing pierces me like the conductor on the number 7 Nothing pierces me like the conductor on the number 7
* The actual word is “chest” (peito) but “skeptic btreast” sounds weird
** Refilar and Sino both have multiple meanings. I originally thought the passengers are leaving the tram and queuing for the next one, but she is staying in, ignoring everything (metaphorically under a glass bell jar) because she wants to stay where she is. That doesn’t seem to case. Refilar usually means to grumble and complain and that’s what it means here. “Estar num sino” just means to be well-disposed and calm, according to this page. It doesn’t seem to be a very well-known expression though, judging by people’s reactions when I asked.
***Obliterar obviously sounds like obliterate and usually means the same but one of the meanings Priberam gives is to invalidate something by means of a stamp or a mark or by piercing it – so basically what a tram conductor does to a ticket then!
OK, well I think we can be pretty sure that the narrator of the song is the female passenger and she’s got the hots for the male conductor. The singer is just voicing her interior monologue, not stalking her. I’ve highlighted the two words that give the clue: she says she’s wearing a bandolete – an alice band or hairband. Well, men can wear those but it’s unusual, and the woman in the video has one but Zambujo doesn’t. Then fuurther down he says “um pica” not uma pica, so it’s a male conductor.
If I were portuguese and wanted to study the equivalent male phenomenon, I guess I’d have to analyse the old sitcome “On the Buses”. Coincidentally, I’ve recently watched my first episode of that. My daughter is obsessed with Reece Shearsmith at the moment and apparently they are planning to do an On the Buses parody in the current series of Inside Number 9. I’m old but even I’m not old enough to remember it when it was first broadcast.
Further musings about the expression “estar num sino”
I gently pointed out in reddit that it was surprising that quite a well-known song had an expression in it that hardly anyone understood and people seemed to be fine with not knowing what he was in about. Obviously there are plenty of songs in English that are the same (try listening to the lyrics of “Whiter Shade of Pale” sometime for example) so it’s not really surprising, but I thought it was fun to ask if people were actually listening to the lyrics.
Fiz uma pergunta ontem sobre a letra de uma música do António Zambujo. Há uma expressão na canção que diz “Fico num sino” que mal entendi*. O que mais me marcou foi o facto de os** respondentes também não saberem o significado da frase. Mas… É uma canção bem conhecida não é? Será que grande parte das pessoas ouviram a música e pensaram “Pois é, está presa*** numa campainha. Faz todo o sentido”
* mal entendi meaning I barely understood it. Maybe should have written “entendi mal” (i misunderstood it) or não entendi (i didn’t understand it) to be more accurate.
**de and os are separate here because “o facto de” is a sort of standalone expression.
*** apesar do cantor ser masculino a narradora da canção não é.
Luso 