Feb 14, 2014 11:31
10 yrs ago
Portuguese term
France
Por/Sp/Cat/Fr->En, IoLDipTrans, MACantab
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, Spanish to English, English, and 2 more.
só se for de "graxa"
Portuguese to English
Bus/Financial
Business/Commerce (general)
Subtitled video on customer service
Hi everyone! I'm translating a subtitled video on good customer service. The presenter is giving some examples of not wanting to pay for things. So in the first case he's in a bar and asks for a 'queijo quente' 'só que com presuntinha, alfacinha, etc'. So it's about trying to get things for free. In the next scene there's a guy about to clean his shoes and he asks 'Então, só um pé, dá para fazer de graça?' and the guy answers 'só se for de 'graxa''. I understand it's a joke, but is there any way to reflect this in a similar play on words in (UK) English? Thanks for your help!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+3
39 mins
Mario Freitas
Brazil
Brazil
Native in Portuguese
&
English
Specializes in field
Brazil
32 years engineering/law/contracts
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
, Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian) 
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
176
Selected
Can it be for free? - Answer: No, it can only be for fee!
Lindsay, this is just a suggestion to keep the little joke, since the translation itself would not be possible here. This way you'd keep the mood and the salesman's sarcasm.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira
: for a fee
1 min
|
|
I didn't put the article as it would "break the rhythm". The two stretches have to sound similar.
|
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| agree |
Catarina Lopes
: ALT: Do you polish for free? - No, I polish for a fee.
22 mins
|
|
Ok, Ana. But the product is a sandwich, not the polishing. Thank you.
|
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| agree |
Marlene Curtis
: Can you do it for free? No, only for a fee...
34 mins
|
|
That's a good alternative, Marlene. Lindsay, This sounds better, doesn't it. Thank you, Marlene.
|
|
| agree |
Diana Coada (X)
: Great suggestion.
1 hr
|
|
Thank you, Diana!
|
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I used Marlene's option!"
+2
23 mins
Maritza Andrade
Mozambique
Mozambique
Specializes in field
Mozambique
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Venezuelan, Latin American)
Works in: Portuguese to English, Spanish to English, English to Portuguese, and 6 more.
only if it is "free"
Achou que esta mal escrito graxa, pois a frase que conheço é: só se for de graça.
only if it is "free"
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Note added at 47 mins (2014-02-14 12:19:10 GMT)
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I think it is possible to translate this joke into English,
only if it is "grease"
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Note added at 49 mins (2014-02-14 12:20:49 GMT)
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yes, I got the point and I wrote the suggestion.
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Note added at 50 mins (2014-02-14 12:22:24 GMT)
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they are playing into Portuguese with the words "graça" and "graxa". Translate into English could change all the format of the joke just to make sense.
only if it is "free"
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Note added at 47 mins (2014-02-14 12:19:10 GMT)
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I think it is possible to translate this joke into English,
only if it is "grease"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 49 mins (2014-02-14 12:20:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
yes, I got the point and I wrote the suggestion.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 50 mins (2014-02-14 12:22:24 GMT)
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they are playing into Portuguese with the words "graça" and "graxa". Translate into English could change all the format of the joke just to make sense.
Note from asker:
| Definitely not a typo, and it's also a video so I can heard that it's 'graxa' and not 'graça'. Perhaps I didn't explain it well in my question. The guy is suggesting he'll do it for free by using 'graxa' which wouldn't leave you with very clean shoes! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
profcamilla
3 mins
|
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obrigado.
|
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| agree |
Paulinho Fonseca
: gratis=for free. Trocadilho usado deixando um 'ar' de graça.
46 mins
|
| neutral |
Mario Freitas
: Isso, Paulinho. É um trocadilho. Não é um erro de grafia. Vejam a discussão, pls.
1 hr
|
1 hr
Verginia Ophof
Belize
Belize
Native in English
Specializes in field
Belize
Near Native Proficiency in Source langua
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, Dutch to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
112
freebie ? .....only if it's a greasy
suggestion
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira
: A greasy, como substantivo? Aqui http://www.thefreedictionary.com/greasy vejo que greasy como substantivo é um tosquiador ou um cozinheiro. Talvez sem artigo funcione.
3 mins
|
+5
2 hrs
Ana Ribeiro
Portugal
Portugal
Native in Portuguese
Specializes in field
Portugal
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Spanish to Portuguese, and 1 more.
Can you do it free of charge? No, only free of polish.
There is no way you can translate such a word game like this (trocadilho). But I think this way you totally get the meaning and the joke.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira
1 min
|
| agree |
Lais Leite
1 hr
|
| agree |
Lidia Saragaço
: Can you do it for free? Yeah, free of polish. (my suggestion to shorten the sentence and keep the affirmative as in the original).
1 hr
|
| agree |
Catarina Lopes
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Gilmar Fernandes
3 hrs
|
Discussion
Mas graxa, shoe polish, é exatamente o que se usa para os sapatos.
De qualquer forma, talvez não seja necessário manter o trocadilho, dependendo do resto do texto. Basta dizer que o engraxate não aceitou fazer de graça.