ProZ.com translation contests »
33rd translation contest: "Back to the playground" » Portuguese (EU) to English

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

Discussion and feedback about the competition in this language pair may now be provided by visiting the "Discussion & feedback" page for this pair. Entries may also be individually discussed by clicking the "Discuss" link next to any listed entry.

Source text in Portuguese (EU)

[...] Oriana espreitou e viu que na sala não estava pessoa nenhuma. Só lá estavam as coisas. Mas reinava uma atmosfera de grande má disposição.
Os sofás e as cadeiras davam cotoveladas uns nos outros, as cômodasdavam coices nas paredes, as jarras diziam às caixas e aos cinzeiros que não as apertassem, e as flores diziam:
- “Não posso mais, não posso mais, falta-me o ar!”
A sala estava cheia como um ovo.
Oriana entrou e as coisas puseram-se todas a falar ao mesmo tempo.
- “Oriana, Oriana, tira-nos daqui” - gritavam as flores.
- “Oriana, diz à jarra que não me empurre” - pediu a caixa.
- “Oriana, diz à mesa que não me pise com tanta força” - pediu o
tapete.
- “Oriana, diz ao sofá que não me dê cotoveladas” - pediu a cadeira.
- “Oriana, diz ao biombo que se chegue para lá” - pediu a parede.
- “Oriana” - pediu o espelho -, “tira-me daqui. Eu estou sempre a ver,
vejo tudo. Esta sala cheia de coisas, esta sala sem espaço, sem vazio, semlargueza, cansa e magoa os meus olhos de vidro.” [...]

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 3 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Entries (3 total) — Expand all entries

Filter entries
Language variants:
[...] Oriana peered into the lounge and saw that no one was there. Only the furniture. And yet, a sour atmosphere hung over the room.
The sofas and chairs were nudging one another, the commodes were kicking the walls, the jars were telling the boxes and ashtrays to stop squashing them, and the flowers were exclaiming:
- "I can't take it anymore, it's too much. I need air!"
The room was packed to the brim.
Oriana entered and all the furniture started talking in unison.
- "Oriana, Oriana, get us out of here" - the flowers shouted.
- "Oriana, tell the jar to stop pushing me" - the box asked.
- "Oriana, tell the table to stop treading on me so heavily" - the carpet asked.
- "Oriana, tell the sofa to stop nudging me" - the chair asked.
- "Oriana, tell the folding screen to move over" - the wall asked.
- "Oriana" - the mirror asked -, "get me out of here. I see everything, I never stop seeing. This lounge full of stuff, with no room, no empty space, so narrow... it tires and hurts my glass eyes." [...]
Entry #38522 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Adam Young
Adam Young
United Kingdom
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
4010 x400
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 5 "like" tags
a sour atmosphere hung over the room.
Flows well
Daniel Hall
The sofas and chairs were nudging one another,
Good term selection
Daniel Hall
were telling t
Flows well
Alessandro Funari
"I can't take it anymore, it's too much. I need air!"
Flows well
Daniel Hall
so narrow... it tires and hurts my glass eyes."
Flows well
Nice addit​ion of ell​ipses, hel​ps flow in​ English
Daniel Hall
Oriana peeked in and saw no one in the room. Only things were there. But an ill-empowered atmosphere circulated.
The sofas and chairs elbowed each other, the dressers kicked the walls, the vases and ashtrays told them not to squeeze them and the flowers said:
“I can’t anymore, I can’t anymore, I can’t breathe!”
The room was full like an egg.
Oriana stepped in and everything started to speak at once:
“Oriana, Oriana, take us from here,” shouted the flowers.
“Oriana, tell the jar not to push me” asked the desk.
“Oriana, tell the table not to stomp on me” asked the rug.
“Oriana, tell the couch not to elbow me” asked the chair.
“Oriana, tell the screen to go over there” asked the wall.
- “Oriana” - pediu o espelho -, “tira-me daqui. Eu estou sempre a ver,
“Oriana” asked the mirror, “take me out of here. I am always looking, I see everything. This room full of things. This room, without space, without emptiness, without width, tires and wounds my glass eyes.”
Entry #38167 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Alisha Rice
Alisha Rice
United States
Voting points1st2nd3rd
703 x21 x1
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
[...] Oriana looked around ans saw that there was no one in the room. Just things were there. But an atmosphere of great ill-temper reigned.
The sofas and chairs elbowed each other, the dresses kicked the walls, the vases told the boxes and ashtrays not to touch them, and the flowers said:
- "I can't do it anymore, I can't do it anymore, I'm running out of air!"
The room was packed like an egg.
Oriana entered and everyone started talking at the same time.
- "Oriana, Oriana, get us out of here" - shouted the flowers.
- "Oriana, tell the jar not to push me" - asked the box.
- "Oriana, tell the table not to step on me so hard" - asked the carpet.
- "Oriana, tell the sofa not to elbow me" - asked the chair.
- "Oriana, tell the folding screem to get away" - asked the wall.
- "Oriana, asked the mirror - "get me out of here. I'm always watching, I see everything. This room is full of things, this room without space, without emptiness, without space, it tires and hurts my glass eyes." [...]
Entry #38453 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
Voting points1st2nd3rd
401 x22 x1
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags