não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo

English translation: though how long they had been living there is not known for sure.

19:11 Jun 7, 2005

Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Anthropology

Portuguese term or phrase: não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo

CONTEXT

A essa altura, entre 50-55 anos atrás, alguns índios de seu grupo já residiam, não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo, na Estação José Bonifácio

zabrowa KudoZ activity Questions: 1684 (1 open) (25 closed without grading) Answers: 13
Local time: 07:53

English translation:though how long they had been living there is not known for sure.

Explanation:
Fifty to fifty years ago, some Indians already lived at X though how long they had been living there is not known for sure

mais que perfeito do passado continuo

cheers

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Note added at 12 mins (2005-06-07 19:23:51 GMT)
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this means that at the point in time of 50 years ago..until that point in time nobody knew how long they Had Been Living There...

this is idiomatic and correct grammar..

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Note added at 22 mins (2005-06-07 19:33:44 GMT)
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jà a quanto tempo refers up to the time when the 55 or 50 years ago began...

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Note added at 23 mins (2005-06-07 19:34:38 GMT)
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short form - though for how long is not known

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Note added at 36 mins (2005-06-07 19:47:21 GMT)
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já há quanto tempo se refere a quanto tempo no momento de há 55 anos..não hoje,,portanto..

at 55 years ago, it was not known how long they had been living there...

the structure in English = past perfect continuous

the não se podendo saber= in English,,is not known Today..because we don\'t using the gerundio in English the same way...

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Note added at 39 mins (2005-06-07 19:50:55 GMT)
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A essa altura, entre 50-55 anos atrás, alguns índios de seu grupo já residiam, não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo, na Estação José Bonifácio

At the time, between 50 to 55 years ago, some Indians from his/its/their group were already living in [x] though it is not known [today] for how long OR though it is not known today how long they had been living there.

Those are the two possibilities....

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Note added at 59 mins (2005-06-07 20:10:23 GMT)
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In English: though no one knows how long or for how long= both correct...in fact

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Note added at 59 mins (2005-06-07 20:11:12 GMT)
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But I would use the passive: though it is not known for how long or how long= both are correct, with or without for.

Native English speaker oblige..

Selected response from:

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)

Grading comment

This works best for my translation. Thanks Jane.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

for how long one could not know exactly

Mariana Moreira

4 +2

though no one knows how long.

George Rabel

though how long they had been living there is not known for sure.

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)

it is not possible to say precisely for how long they have been living there

airmailrpl

4 -2

even though it is not known exactly how long ago

Regina Guerra

Answers

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo for how long one could not know exactly

Explanation:
Uma sugestão:)

Mariana Moreira
Portugal
Local time: 06:53
Native speaker of:

Portuguese

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -2

não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo even though it is not known exactly how long ago

Explanation:
minha sugestão. boa sorte :)

Regina Guerra
Local time: 06:53
Native speaker of: Portuguese

38 mins confidence:

não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo it is not possible to say precisely for how long they have been living there

Explanation:
não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo => it is not possible to say precisely for how long they have been living there

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 02:53
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese

38 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo though no one knows how long.

Explanation:
By then, some 50 or 55 years ago, some Indians of his tribe had already been living in Estação José Bonifácio, though no one knows how long.

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Note added at 54 mins (2005-06-07 20:05:47 GMT)
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Covenant Presbyterian Church
Who knows how long they had been living apart from their loved ones.

covenantpres.org/Resources/Sermons/138 - 50k - Supplemental Result
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Mindfulness on Death
Who knows how long they had been dead and stranded in the hospital, with no one knowing of their existence, paying attention to them, guiding them, or ...
www.tbsn.org/wwc/us/PLS/Journal/jrnl1099/Sam.html - 26k -
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Bat World
Who knows how long they had been living there? On the colony\'s spring return, the bats found radios, horses, tractors, and all the bustle of a working barn. ...
www.batworld.org/batworld_centers/ novaannualreport2004.html - 23k -

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Note added at 58 mins (2005-06-07 20:09:43 GMT)
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LDS Mormon Prophet Hinckley Interview
\"No one knows how long it will last. No one knows precisely where it will be fought.
No one knows what it may entail before it is over. ...
www.i4m.com/think/leaders/Hinckley_dontknow.htm - 25k

George Rabel
Local time: 01:53
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): were living there though no one knows for how long [they had been living there]. I would not say no one knows in the middle of a sentence..I would say though it is not known..passive construction..i agree with the you re the for

1 min

-> Jane. I do not think it is incorrect to skip the "for" here.

agree

Muriel Vasconcellos

10 mins

-> Thank you , Muriel

agree

jrb: this is good because it doesn't repeat "living"; but the register may depend on the context (not clear here with such a short sentence), e.g. for formal text it would be better to include "for" and maybe convert "no one knows" to the passive voice

56 mins

-> Yes. Good point. I contributed the active voice precisely because I noticed no one else had.

10 mins confidence:

não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo

though how long they had been living there is not known for sure.

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

This works best for my translation. Thanks Jane.

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não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo

English translation: though how long they had been living there is not known for sure.

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não se podendo precisar já há quanto tempo

English translation: though how long they had been living there is not known for sure.

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