Translation (Portuguese to English)
What the section tests
Portuguese-to-English translation tests whether you can carry meaning, register, and stance into natural English without calque. Passages may be institutional, journalistic, or literary; marks come from accuracy of propositional content and appropriate English style.
Core rules
- Unpack the Portuguese clause structure before writing English. Personal infinitive often becomes a finite clause: Antes de os alunos entrarem → Before the students enter/entered.
- Impersonal é preciso que, convém que, é importante que plus subjunctive usually becomes must/should/need to in English.
- Passive ser + participle + por maps to English passive, but English may prefer active: A proposta foi rejeitada pela comissão → The committee rejected the proposal.
- Formal address such as Vossa Excelência or o senhor needs consistent English handling; do not switch mid-text.
- Watch false friends and idioms: atual = current; pagar o pato = take the blame.
Worked example
Source: É preciso que os candidatos se inscrevam até sexta-feira. Draft: It is necessary that the candidates register themselves until Friday. Better: Candidates must register by Friday. Reasoning: É preciso que plus present subjunctive inscrevam expresses necessity, not a literal it is necessary that. Se is reflexive, not passive. Até before a deadline means by, not until. The improved version is natural and accurate.
Traps that cost marks
- Translating até as until for deadlines.
- Rendering reflexive se as himself or themselves when it is merely verbal.
- Keeping Portuguese word order in English.
- Flattening formality: o senhor may become you, but do not invent a title that is not there.