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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

Nesses casos

English translation: In the latter two cases

02:05 Nov 23, 2011
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Text on sea turtles
Portuguese term or phrase: Nesses casos
Perhaps I am just making a meal out of this, but I'm a bit unsure of my translation of 'nesses casos' in the following text which is on sea turtles.

"Com ancestrais terrestres, esses animais passaram por várias modificações ao longo de sua evolução, garantindo a sobrevivência e a adaptação a novos ambientes. Algumas espécies permaneceram vivendo em terra; outras buscaram a água doce ou migraram para o mar.
***Nesses casos***, a carapaça, por exemplo, tornou-se mais curta, achatada e mais leve, ganhando formato hidrodinâmico; as patas se transformaram em nadadeiras. Tudo para que se movam na água com mais eficiência."

I can see from the Portuguese that 'nesses casos' refers to the two types of turtle which went sought out fresh water or the sea. But does 'in the last two cases' sound right? 'Latter' doesn't work because there are three types, even though in the Portuguese there's a division between two and not three. 'In the latter case'? Or just find another way of saying it? In these/those cases sounds vague. Thanks for your help!
Lindsay Spratt
France
Local time: 21:40
English translation:In the latter two cases
Explanation:
There are two main cases land or water. The second case breaks down into two sub-cases, so latter does work.
Selected response from:

Mark Robertson
Local time: 20:40
Grading comment
Thanks, Nick!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3in these cases
Arthur Godinho
4 +2When this happened
Lucy Phillips
4 +1One of these cases
Martin Riordan
4 +1In the latter two cases
Mark Robertson
4In the water, (See explanation)
Muriel Vasconcellos
4in these particular cases
Nick Taylor


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
in these cases


Explanation:
sugg.

Arthur Godinho
United States
Local time: 15:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Emiliano Pantoja: in such cases
22 mins
  -> Grato, Emiliano.
agree  Nicole L. R.: in such cases
7 hrs
  -> Obrigado, Nicole.
agree  Verginia Ophof
15 hrs
  -> Obrigado, Verginia.
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
One of these cases


Explanation:
I think that "Nestes casos..." doesn't sound right in the original text, because the author is referring to one specific example of "these cases", not to "these cases" in the plural.

"(As) An example of one of these cases, the carapaça, became shorter..."

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 16:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 19

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nicole L. R.
5 hrs
  -> Obrigado, Nicole!
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
In the latter two cases


Explanation:
There are two main cases land or water. The second case breaks down into two sub-cases, so latter does work.

Mark Robertson
Local time: 20:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44
Grading comment
Thanks, Nick!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Georgia Morg (X)
5 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
When this happened


Explanation:
I might be tempted to add a 'however' in the previous phrase: 'some continued to live on land; others, however, sought fresh water or migrated to the sea. When this happened (or in these cases...) etc'.

I think the rest of the sentence will make it clear that the watery turtles are being referred to rather than the landlubbers!

Lucy Phillips
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sheila Gomes
1 hr
agree  Lidia Carney
1 hr
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Nesses casos,
In the water, (See explanation)


Explanation:
This is a solution that avoids the predicament that you raise.

HOWEVER, that said, I don't think you have a problem to begin with. It's interesting that you (and we) assume that the text refers to both salt and fresh water turtles, when in fact the source is as vague in Portuguese as 'these' would be in English. It could also refer to just the turtles that go out to sea. The text is ambiguous. My rule is that if the text is ambiguous in the original, keep it ambiguous in the target. So I would probably say 'In these cases' - but that doesn't respond to your concern.

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Note added at 16 hrs (2011-11-23 18:34:05 GMT)
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If you think it's both kinds of water, based on your familiarity with the text, this solution would work. If you're not sure, then you would have to stick with 'these'. I would NOT get specific and say 'in the salt water' because that could be wrong.

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 12:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 100

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Georgia Morg (X): wouldn't it just be "nesse caso" if it referred to salt water? a genuine question
1 hr
  -> Please read my explanation. My answer was based on the asker's interpretation; she assumed that it's both. My own interpretation is that the text is ambiguous. My preference would be 'these,' which preserves the ambiguity.
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1 day 6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
in these particular cases


Explanation:
in these particular cases

Nick Taylor
Local time: 20:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 119
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