A2 — Elementary·5 min read·Fantasy·fantasy

A Ponte Encantada

Dois jovens aventureiros tentam atravessar uma ponte encantada sobre o Douro respondendo a um enigma em português.

Theme verbatravessar—to cross

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Story opening — Portuguese with English Translation

Há muitos anos, os dois jovens aventureiros Filipe e Clara chegam às margens do rio Douro. Precisam de atravessar para o lado norte, mas a única ponte é uma ponte de pedra muito antiga. No centro da ponte, está sentada uma velha de cabelos brancos que não deixa ninguém passar.

Many years ago, the two young adventurers Filipe and Clara arrive at the banks of the Douro river. They need to cross to the northern bank, but the only bridge is a very old stone bridge. In the middle of the bridge, an old woman with white hair is seated who does not let anyone cross.

"Para atravessar esta ponte," diz a velha, "têm de responder a uma adivinha. A palavra que procuram é portuguesa e não tem tradução noutras línguas. É uma saudade de algo que talvez nunca tenha existido. Uma tristeza doce. Um amor ao passado. Qual é a palavra?"

"To cross this bridge," says the old woman, "you must answer a riddle. The word you seek is Portuguese and has no translation in other languages. It is a longing for something that perhaps never existed. A sweet sadness. A love of the past. What is the word?"

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Vocabulary Glossary

WordMeaning
háago; there is/are
muitosmany (masculine plural)
anosyears
doistwo (masculine)
jovensyoung (plural); young people
adventureiroadventurer
aventureirosadventurers
chegamarrive (3rd person plural, present of chegar)
chegarto arrive
margensbanks (plural of margem)
margembank (of a river)
rioriver
precisamneed (3rd person plural, present of precisar)
precisarto need
atravessarto cross
ladoside
nortenorth
únicaonly; sole (feminine)
pontebridge
pedrastone
muitovery; much
antigaold; ancient (feminine)
centrocenter; middle
estáis (3rd person singular, present of estar)
sentadaseated; sitting (feminine)
velhaold woman; old (feminine)
cabeloshair (plural)
brancoswhite (masculine plural)
nãonot; no
deixalets; allows (3rd person singular, present of deixar)
deixarto let; to allow; to leave
ninguémnobody; no one
passarto pass; to cross
estathis (feminine)
dizsays (3rd person singular, present of dizer)
dizerto say; to tell
têmhave (3rd person plural, present of ter)
terto have
responderto answer; to respond
adivinhariddle
palavraword
procuramlook for; seek (3rd person plural, present of procurar)
procurarto look for; to seek
portuguesaPortuguese (feminine adjective)
temhas (3rd person singular, present of ter)
traduçãotranslation
noutrasin other (contraction: em + outras)
línguaslanguages
saudadesaudade (nostalgic longing, untranslatable)
algosomething
talvezperhaps; maybe
nuncanever
tenhahas (3rd person singular, present subjunctive of ter)
existidoexisted (past participle of existir)
existirto exist
tristezasadness
docesweet
amorlove
passadopast
qualwhich; what
éis (3rd person singular, present of ser)
encantadaenchanted
encolher os ombrosto shrug
respostaanswer; response
respondeanswers (3rd person singular, present of responder)
descrevedescribes (3rd person singular, present of descrever)
descreverto describe
significadomeaning
comohow; as; like
atravessascross (2nd person singular, present of atravessar)
atravessamoscross (1st person plural, present of atravessar)
atravessamcross (3rd person plural, present of atravessar)
atravesseicrossed (1st person singular, preterite of atravessar)
atravessastecrossed (2nd person singular, preterite of atravessar)
atravessoucrossed (3rd person singular, preterite of atravessar)
atravessámoscrossed (1st person plural, preterite of atravessar)
atravessaramcrossed (3rd person plural, preterite of atravessar)
atravessareiwill cross (1st person singular, future of atravessar)
atravessaráswill cross (2nd person singular, future of atravessar)
atravessaráwill cross (3rd person singular, future of atravessar)
atravessaremoswill cross (1st person plural, future of atravessar)
atravessarãowill cross (3rd person plural, future of atravessar)
atravessandocrossing (gerund of atravessar)
atravessadocrossed (past participle of atravessar)

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