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uma Terra e uma natureza preservadas.

English translation: an Earth with its nature intact

00:09 Jan 26, 2012
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Environment & Ecology / Defintion of Sustainability
Portuguese term or phrase: uma Terra e uma natureza preservadas.
This is a text written by a Brazilian theologist and philosopher attempting to define sustainability. I'm struggling how to make this phrase sound natural in English because 'a nature' sounds strange. Thanks for your help!


"Sustentar a nossa geração e aquelas que seguirão à nossa: a Terra é suficiente para cada geração desde que esta estabeleça uma relação de sinergia e de cooperação com ela e distribua os bens e serviços com equidade. O uso desses bens deve se reger pela solidariedade generacional. As futuras gerações tem o direito de herdarem ***uma Terra e uma natureza preservadas.***"
Lindsay Spratt
France
Local time: 03:46
English translation:an Earth with its nature intact
Explanation:
Just another option. I think it's fine to say "an Earth" here in the phrase "to inherit an Earth with its nature intact". Intact may be going too far as of course it is not intact, but as a phrase I think it works better than "preserved" or "conserved" (the latter being more commonly used in English than preserved).
Selected response from:

Evans (X)
Local time: 02:46
Grading comment
Thanks, Gilla!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4a well preserved planet and a well preserved environment.
George Rabel
4 +3an Earth with its nature intact
Evans (X)
5the Earth, and it's nature, well preserved
Fernando Okabe Biazibeti
5to preserve the Earth and its environment
Charles Lucas
3 +1Earth and its environment well preserved.
Martin Riordan


  

Answers


53 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
a well preserved planet and a well preserved environment.


Explanation:
I believe "natureza" could be safely translated as environment in this case, solving the problem of the article.

George Rabel
Local time: 21:46
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sheryle Oliver: a well preserved Earth and a well.... (just to stay closer to the original and the planet we live on)
4 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Diana Coada (X)
11 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Verginia Ophof
15 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Allison Wright (X): With Sheryle Oliver on "a well-preserved Earth and well-preserved environment". Oh, look! I have hyphenated well-preserved (because it is an attributive adjective). Predicatively: The Earth is well preserved (no hyphen).
21 hrs
  -> Thank you. Agree with the hyphen. Still prefer "planet" over "Earth"
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
the Earth, and it's nature, well preserved


Explanation:
How about this one? It feels simpler and more objective to me.

Fernando Okabe Biazibeti
Brazil
Local time: 22:46
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Martin Riordan: I would get rid of that apostrophe...
46 mins
neutral  Allison Wright (X): Ditto on the errant apostrophe!
20 hrs
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
an Earth with its nature intact


Explanation:
Just another option. I think it's fine to say "an Earth" here in the phrase "to inherit an Earth with its nature intact". Intact may be going too far as of course it is not intact, but as a phrase I think it works better than "preserved" or "conserved" (the latter being more commonly used in English than preserved).

Evans (X)
Local time: 02:46
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36
Grading comment
Thanks, Gilla!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nick Taylor: Yes "an" earth works very well. 5 stars!
9 mins
  -> why, thank you very much, Nick!
agree  T o b i a s: Good.
4 hrs
  -> Thank you Tobias!
agree  Anja C.
2 days 14 hrs
  -> Thank you Anja!
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Earth and its environment well preserved.


Explanation:
The author was specific about which planet, therefore "Earth".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2012-01-26 12:34:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Please consider inserting "an" at the beginning of the phrase. I forgot...

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 22:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos
1 hr
  -> Obrigado, Muriel!
neutral  Nick Taylor: rather cumbersome
8 hrs
  -> There is no other answer that is shorter! ;-)
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2 days 15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
to preserve the Earth and its environment


Explanation:
The other renderings suffer a little because they cover only half of the sentence. I would suggest turning it round for a more natural English version, e.g. "We owe it to future generations to preserve the Earth and its environment."

Charles Lucas
Local time: 03:46
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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