TALK PORTUGUESE – TV transcripts

Programme 3

•	Narrator
In this programme...
- living and working in Lisbon
- the mystical village in the hills, which Byron described as ‘this glorious Eden’
- and the frontier towns that fought so hard in the war for Portugal’s independence.

Portugal has frequently been cut-off from the European mainstream. Tucked away at the edge of the continent, beyond an often hostile Spain, it has had to fight for its survival as a nation. The Portuguese have been defined through major events - the discoveries, the wars of independence and in the 18th Century, an event that literally shook the world. Towering over the district of Baixa, stand the ruins of the convento do Carmo, a 14th Century church that witnessed one of the biggest natural disasters to hit the Western Hemisphere - the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. It began on a clear morning, 1 November, when people were flocking to church to celebrate All Saints Day. Suddenly, the first of three massive tremors.

Archaelogist: Os tremores dos abalos derrubaram os edifícios,
Subtitles: The tremors brought down buildings

sepultaram as pessoas, de tanto dentro das igrejas quanto em casas particulares.
Subtitles: and buried people alive, in churches and their own homes. 

Depois, o incêndio.
Subtitles: Then came the fire.

•	Narrator
The many candles lit to commemorate the day of the dead started fires that raged out of control for seven days. Archaeologist, Maria da Conceição Machado, has had to learn exactly what took place that day. 

Maria da Conceição Machado: Uns tentaram salvar-se, outros rezavam, 
Subtitles: Some tried to save themselves, others prayed,

outros imploravam para que acabasse
Subtitles: others begged for it all to end.  

•	Narrator
Those who were not consumed by flames or crushed by masonry took refuge on the riverfront where they were swept away by the tidal wave that followed. 17,000 buildings in old Lisbon collapsed and 60,000 people died in an earthquake felt as far away as Jamaica. The city’s skyline would never be the same again. The man responsible for rebuilding the city was the Marquis of Pombal. He famously declared ‘Close the ports, bury the dead, feed the living’. The grid system named after the Marquis, the Baixa Pombalina, is one of the best examples of 18th Century town planning in Europe. A testament to the Portuguese determination to pull through. 

Presenter 1: Desculpe, onde fica o convento do Carmo, por favor? 
Presenter 2: Siga sempre em frente, tome a primeira rua à direita e o Convento fica lá, do lado direito.
Presenter 1: É longe? 
Presenter 2: Não, é perto, a cinco minutos a pé. 

•	Narrator
Desculpe, onde fica o convento do Carmo? Excuse me, where is the convento do Carmo?
Siga sempre em frente. Go straight on.
O convento fica lá, do lado direito. The convent is there on the right-hand side.
É longe? Is it far?

Woman: Desculpe, onde fica o convento do Carmo, por favor?
Man: Olha, siga sempre em frente, tome a primeira rua à direita, depois volte à direita e o convento fica lá, do lado direito.
Woman: É longe? 
Man: Não, não é perto. Cinco minutos a pé. 
Woman: Muito obrigada.
Man: De nada minha senhora.

•	Narrator
Siga sempre em frente. Go straight on.
Tome a primeira rua à direita. Take the first road on the right.
Volte à direita. Turn right.
O convento fica lá, do lado direito. The convent is there on the right-hand side.

The former Expo site, o Parco das Nações, is one of the best examples of urban renewal in Lisbon and people have embraced it with enthusiasm. It is a popular place to work and also now to live. Where do you live? Onde mora?

Man 1: Eu sou de Lisboa e moro no Parco das Nações.
Man 2: Eu moro em Lisboa. 
Woman 1: Moro em Elvas.
Man 3: Moro em Sintra.
Woman 2: Moro em Guimarães.
Woman 3: Moro numa residência de estudantes em Portalegre.  

Presenter 1: Onde mora?
Presenter 2: Moro em Lisboa.
Presenter 3: Moro em Sintra.
Presenter 1: Moro numa residência de estudantes. 
Presenter 3: O que faz?
Presenter 1: Sou estudante de economia.

•	Narrator
Onde mora? Where do you live?
Moro em Lisboa. I live in Lisbon.
Moro numa residência de estudantes. I live in a student residence.
O que faz? What do you do for a living?

Man 1: Eu sou pescador.
Man 2: Sou tratorista. 
Woman: Sou empregada de mesa.
Man 3: Sou piloto de helicópteros.
Man 4: Sou estudante de economia.
Man 5: Sou estudante.
Girl 1: Sou estudante também.
Girl 2: Sou estudante.
Woman: Trabalho no Departamento de Turismo da Câmara Municipal de Marvão.

•	Narrator
Not far from Lisbon lie the mystical hills of Sintra, long a retreat for kings and nobility. There are palaces everywhere. Pena Palace is a fairytale mix of architectural styles. The Moors built this fortress in the 8th Century and o Palácio Nacional, the National Palace, was home to the royal family from 1147. It was in this room that King Manuel I was to hear of Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India and the establishment of the Portuguese empire in Asia. The fresh air and clean water of Sintra provided a refuge from the plague in the Middle Ages. Its unique atmosphere has also inspired artists of all kinds, as historian Teresa Roteiro explains.

Teresa Roteiro: Os Românticos viam em Sintra 
Subtitles: The Romantics saw in Sintra

um cenário perfeito do seu...do que idealizavam. 
Subtitles: the perfect backdrop for everything that they idealised.

E portanto, sem duvida que aqui pelas...   
Subtitles: So, doubtless the mists,

por esta penumbra que é tão característica de Sintra,
Subtitles: which are so particular to Sintra,

pelas chuvas e pela vegetação exuberante e exótica  
Subtitles: the rain and plants, both so exuberant and exotic –

isto corresponde a um cenário romântico. 
Subtitles: all these combine to make the perfect romantic scenery. 

•	Narrator
Sintra is also a perfect escape from the heat of the Portuguese summer.

Teresa Roteiro: Continua a ser um sitio muito belo.
Subtitles: To this day it is a beautiful place.

A beleza de Sintra
Subtitles: The beauty of Sintra

marca...marca as pessoas.
Subtitles: simply touches people.

Woman: Desculpe, para o Palácio da Pena, por favor?
Man: Vire à direita. Depois do hotel Lawrence, vire à esquerda. Há um sinal para o Palácio da Pena. Depois sempre em frente para cima.
Woman: Obrigada, boa tarde.
Man: Boa tarde.

•	Narrator
Vire à direita. Turn right.
Depois do hotel Lawrence vire à esquerda. After the hotel Lawrence, turn left.
Ha um sinal. There is a sign.
Sempre em frente para cima. Straight on to the top of the hill.

To the east of Lisbon is the Alentejo, an arid region on the border with Spain fought over for centuries. 
The 17th Century was decisive for Portuguese nationhood. A key place at this time was the town of Elvas. It still has some of the best preserved fortifications in Europe. 
In 1580, Portugal had lost its sovereignty and had become just another province of Spain. Historian João Paiva explains.

João Paiva: Sempre houve um interesso dos espanhóis em edificar a Península Ibérica
Subtitles: The Spanish always wanted to unify the Iberian Peninsula,

sobre o controle de um único rei, 
Subtitles: under one king,

de um único poder político centralizado.
Subtitles: a single, centralised political power.

E havia várias culturas no contexto peninsular
Subtitles: But within the Peninsula there were several cultures

que tinham uma identidade própria e que se queriam manter independentes. 
Subtitles: that wanted to preserve their own identity and independence.

O Portugal era uma delas.
Subtitles: Portugal was one of them.

•	Narrator
In 1640, Portugal declared independence, but the Spanish were not giving up this land without a fight - war followed. Things came to a head in 1659 when Elvas was besieged by 20,000 Spanish soldiers. The town’s garrison of 11,000 had been reduced to a mere 1000 by plague. If Elvas fell now, the road to Lisbon would be wide open. 

João Paiva: O líderes militares portugueses 
Subtitles: The Portuguese military leaders

lançaram um exército em ajuda
Subtitles: sent in an army of reinforcement.

que rapidamente envolveu as tropas espanholas
Subtitles: The troops quickly surrounded the Spanish

que já estavam cansadas dum cerco que se prolongava também a algum tempo
Subtitles: who were tired because the siege had been going on for some time

e foram apanhadas. 
Subtitles: and they were captured.

Portanto, quase que se pode dizer que é uma viragem decisiva no conflito 
Subtitles: So you might say that this was a turning point

da Guerra da Restauração. 
Subtitles: in the War of Restoration.

•	Narrator
The defence of Elvas was a shock to Spanish ambitions and nine years later, Spain finally recognised Portuguese independence.

Presenter 1: O castelo está aberto hoje? 
Presenter 2: Claro, o castelo está aberto todos os dias.

•	Narrator
O castelo está aberto hoje? Is the castle open today?
Claro, o castelo está aberto todos os dias. Of course, the castle is open every day.

Man: Desculpe.
Woman: Sim?
Man: O castelo está aberto hoje?
Woman: Claro, o castelo está aberto todos os dias.
Man: Onde fica, por favor?
Woman: O senhor segue em frente. Vire à direita. Atravesse o largo de Santa Clara. Não é longe de aqui.
Man: Muito obrigado.
Woman: De nada, bom dia.
Man: Bom dia.

•	Narrator
O senhor segue em frente. Carry straight on.
Atravesse o largo de Santa Clara. Cross the square of Santa Clara.
Vire à direita. Turn right.

There are many hilltop towns in the Alentejo, which have come to symbolise the drive for Portuguese independence. Perhaps most impressive of all is Marvão. At the far end of the village, blending into the sharp slopes of the serra is Marvão Castle.

Sabe a que horas fecha? Do you know what time it closes?
O castelo fecha às oito horas. The castle closes at eight o’clock.

Woman 1: Desculpe senhora. O castelo está aberto hoje?
Woman 2: Sim, sim, está aberto.
Man: E sabe a que horas fecha?
Woman 2: O castelo fecha às oito horas. 
Man: Vamos sempre em frente?
Woman 2: Sim, sim, sempre em frente passando o jardim à esquerda.
Woman 1: Muito obrigada.
Woman 2: Adeus, boa tarde.

•	Narrator
Above all, Marvão is known as an extraordinary, peaceful place. A reminder of a bygone age.

Woman: É um ambiente calmo, sossegado 
Subtitles: It’s a very calm and quiet atmosphere,

onde se consegue ouvir ou barulho dos passarinhos.
Subtitles: where you can hear the sound of birdsong.

Man: É uma maravilha simples.
Subtitles: The marvellous thing about it

Traduz-se no silêncio, na tranquilidade que se vive nesta vila.
Subtitles: is the silence and tranquillity that surrounds this village.

O conjunto de Marvão é belíssimo.
Subtitles: The whole of Marvão is very beautiful.

Maravilhosa paisagem que não dá para cansar a nossa vista. 
Subtitles: The landscape is so wonderful you never tire of it.