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I'm trying to write dialogue for a non-fanfic-related piece, and one character is a Brazilian immigrant to the US. I need help creating believable touches and a bit of translation help. Any takers?

Uh, no, don't speak it. But I had a foster child through Christian Children's Fund for years who lived in Brazil and I saved all her letters. I have the original letters in Portugese and the English translation. These might give you some sentences in Portugese but probably not what you need. If you give me some samples of dialog, I could take a look at the binder of her letters and see if there is anything close.

Is there anyone at the university where you work who teaches Portugese?

Emberchyld does, I believe.

Linda wrote:Is there anyone at the university where you work who teaches Portugese?

Dunno. Haven't checked. It's a good idea, though. I'm just sort of embarrassed to approach an academic with this. What I need is someone familiar with Portugese slang. In the scene I'm writing, the character's not entirely sober and she's being asked if she's okay by a well-meaning stranger at a bar. I want to know how to say, "Lemme alone!" in Portugese without being either too polite or too crude.

Yes, she does, I, too, believe.

Distracted, I wouldn't be afraid to ask an academic, they might be very interested and they might even know some slang or know someone who does know slang. If no on this board speaks Portugese and if no one at your university does, I think they still teach Portugese at my university and I could see if I could get some translation help for you for free or for a small fee. Let me know if you can't find anything better. I don't think the child's letters I have would be much help, LOL. But it looks like you do have some better options! Well, just let me know. Oh, and maybe a search of the internet for Portugese slang particular to the country or even city your character is from might actually come up with something!

Distracted wrote:Dunno. Haven't checked. It's a good idea, though. I'm just sort of embarrassed to approach an academic with this. What I need is someone familiar with Portugese slang. In the scene I'm writing, the character's not entirely sober and she's being asked if she's okay by a well-meaning stranger at a bar. I want to know how to say, "Lemme alone!" in Portugese without being either too polite or too crude.

Errr... I could be wrong, but try "me deixe em paz" or "me deixe tranqüilo". That's "lemme alone" in Portuguese. But maybe it's too polite.

Thanks!

Oh, oh, now that I see it, if you choose the second option is "me deixe tranqüilA". With a final "a", not "o". I've just noticed the speaker is a woman.

Have you considered an inarticulate snarl?

Kinda hard to write that as dialogue. What would you put? Grrr? Argh? Grumph?

I dunno. Doesn't quite speak to me as appropriate dialogue for a 100 pound knock-out gorgeous girl who's had too much to drink because she had a fight with her husband and she's depressed. Sounds more like a Klingon.

Distracted wrote:I dunno. Doesn't quite speak to me as appropriate dialogue for a 100 pound knock-out gorgeous girl who's had too much to drink because she had a fight with her husband and she's depressed. Sounds more like a Klingon.

Around here that sounds more like slurred karaoke to the tune of: "CUZ I'M A RED-NECK WOO-MAN, I AIN'T NOOOO HIIIIIIGH CLASSED BRAAAAWD!"

My kinda woman.