Translation answer keys

Try to follow these important three steps:

1. Read the full excerpt;
2. Mark key words and expressions that might present some extra difficulty;
3. Do not automatically translate the text before understanding its meaning and how it would be written in English.

"Na Itália, Chico estudou em escola americana, e em pouco tempo falava três idiomas: português em casa, italiano na rua e inglês na escola. 

"In Italy, Chico studied at an American school, and in a short period of time he was speaking three languages: Portuguese at home, Italian on the street, and English at school.

 *Grammar Note:

• In a school = in the school building itself;
• At a school = the place where he studied.

De volta a São Paulo, cursou o Colégio Santa Cruz, de padres canadenses progressistas, e ali escrevia contos e crônicas no jornal escolar Verbâmidas. 

Back/When he came back to São Paulo, he attended Santa Cruz High School, a school run by Canadian progressive priests, and there he wrote short stories and chronicles in the school newspaper Verbâmidas.

A experiência levou-o a acreditar que um dia seria escritor. Mas o LP Chega de saudade adiou esse sonho por alguns anos. 

The experience led him to believe that one day he would be a writer. But then the album "Chega de saudade" arrived and postponed his dream for a few/a couple/some years.

A batida inconfundível de João Gilberto, com seus acordes econômicos, o arrebatara para a música.

The unmistakable/unique/unequivocal beat of João Gilberto, with its economical chords, had snatched/taken him to the music. 

*Vocabulary Note:

• The term economical means "to save or not waste". This is commonly confused with another form of this term, economic, which is an adjective referring to "economy". Beware of word forms in your writing! 

Não só a ele. Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil e tantos outros que viriam a integrar o primeiro time da MPB foram picados pela mesma mosca. 

Not only him. Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and many others that would be part of/take part in the first team of MPB were bitten by the same fly.

A forma intimista da Bossa Nova, com apenas um banquinho e um violão, sem a necessidade de um vozeirão impostado, facilitava a vida de quem desejasse se aventurar por esse caminho."

The intimate form of "Bossa Nova", with only a small bench and a guitar, without the need for a greatly imposed voice, eased the life of those who wished to explore this path."