B1 — Intermediate·10 min read·Everyday Life·perseverance

Continuar Apesar de Tudo

Uma corredora amadora enfrenta uma lesão grave e decide continuar o seu sonho de completar a Maratona de Lisboa.

Theme verbcontinuar—to continue

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Story opening — Portuguese with English Translation

A Vera Santos tinha trinta e cinco anos, era professora de ciências numa escola secundária em Cascais e corria há sete anos. Não era atleta profissional — continuava a trabalhar como professora e treinava antes das aulas, de manhã cedo, nas ruas junto ao mar. O seu sonho era completar a Maratona de Lisboa, que continuava a ser um objetivo por alcançar.

Vera Santos was thirty-five, a science teacher at a secondary school in Cascais, and had been running for seven years. She was not a professional athlete — she continued to work as a teacher and trained before lessons, early in the morning, on the streets by the sea. Her dream was to complete the Lisbon Marathon, which continued to be a goal yet to be achieved.

Em março, a dez semanas da maratona, a Vera sentiu uma dor aguda no joelho direito durante um treino. Parou, descansou, mas a dor continuava no dia seguinte e no outro. O médico diagnosticou uma lesão no menisco — não grave, mas que exigia repouso de quatro a seis semanas.

In March, ten weeks before the marathon, Vera felt a sharp pain in her right knee during training. She stopped, rested, but the pain continued the next day and the day after. The doctor diagnosed a meniscus injury — not serious, but requiring four to six weeks of rest.

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Vocabulary Glossary

WordMeaning
continuarto continue
continuavacontinued / used to continue (imperfect of continuar)
continuarahad continued (pluperfect of continuar)
continuoucontinued (3rd person singular preterite of continuar)
continueiI continued (1st person singular preterite of continuar)
continuacontinues (3rd person singular present of continuar)
continuamcontinue (3rd person plural present of continuar)
continuemoslet us continue (present subjunctive of continuar)
continuandocontinuing (gerund of continuar)
correrto run
corriaran / used to run (imperfect of correr)
correndorunning (gerund of correr)
treinarto train / practise
treinavatrained / used to train (imperfect of treinar)
sentiufelt (3rd person singular preterite of sentir)
sentirto feel / sense
pararto stop
paroustopped (3rd person singular preterite of parar)
descansarto rest
descansourested (3rd person singular preterite of descansar)
diagnosticarto diagnose
diagnosticoudiagnosed (3rd person singular preterite of diagnosticar)
exigirto require / demand
exigiarequired (imperfect of exigir)
perguntarto ask
perguntouasked (3rd person singular preterite of perguntar)
saberto know
sabendoknowing (gerund of saber)
andarto walk
arriscarto risk
imaginarto imagine
conseguiacould / was able to (imperfect of conseguir)
chamar-seto be called / named
chamava-sewas called (imperfect of chamar-se)
sonharto dream
nadarto swim
começoubegan (3rd person singular preterite of começar)
começarto begin / start
verto see
perceberto understand / realise
percebeuunderstood / realised (3rd person singular preterite of perceber)
ficarto become / stay
ficavaused to become (imperfect of ficar)
ficoubecame / stayed (3rd person singular preterite of ficar)
darto give
deugave (3rd person singular preterite of dar)
chorarto cry / weep
choroucried (3rd person singular preterite of chorar)
acreditarto believe
acreditarahad believed (pluperfect of acreditar)
importarto matter / be important
importadomattered (past participle of importar)
estarto be (state)
haviathere was (imperfect of haver)
cruzarto cross
cruzoucrossed (3rd person singular preterite of cruzar)
pensarto think
pensouthought (3rd person singular preterite of pensar)
mandarto tell / order / send
mandavawas telling / ordering (imperfect of mandar)
aprenderto learn
aprendamoslet us learn (present subjunctive of aprender)
dizerto say
dissesaid (3rd person singular preterite of dizer)
significarto mean / signify
significameans (3rd person singular present of significar)
recomeçarto start again / restart
profesorateacher (feminine)
professorateacher (feminine)
corredorarunner (feminine)
corredorrunner (masculine)
corredoresrunners (plural)
atletaathlete
médicodoctor
dorpain
consultaappointment / consultation
pensamentothought
pensamentosthoughts (plural)
sessãosession
autorizaçãoclearance / permission
alegriajoy
treinotraining / workout
sonhodream
objetivogoal / objective
consciênciaawareness / conscience
calendáriocalendar
respostaanswer / response
costacoast
marsea
ventowind
chãoground / floor
momentomoment
piscinaswimming pool
ginásiogym
janelawindow
carrocar
telefonephone / telephone
mãemother
semanaweek
semanasweeks (plural)
diaday
manhãmorning
noitenight / evening
quilómetrokilometre
quilómetroskilometres (plural)
corpobody
escolaschool
aulalesson / class
aulaslessons (plural)
profissionalprofessional
físicophysical
físicophysical (masculine)
graveserious / severe
práticopractical
práticapractical (feminine)
directadirect / straightforward (feminine)
frustrantefrustrating
fortestrong
diferentedifferent
diferentesdifferent (plural)
devagarslowly
aos poucosgradually / little by little
de manhã cedoearly in the morning
no inícioat first / in the beginning
no dia seguintethe next day
de joelhoson one's knees
apesar de tudodespite everything
de formas diferentesin different ways
ao longo dealong / throughout
por alcançaryet to be achieved
jáalready
mesmoeven / same
aindastill / yet
nuncanever
semprealways
apenasonly / just
tambémalso / too
maratonamarathon
lesãoinjury
meniscomeniscus (knee cartilage)
fisioterapiaphysiotherapy
fisioterapeutaphysiotherapist
repousorest / recuperation
joelhoknee
joelhosknees (plural)
linha de partidastarting line
linha de chegadafinish line
Parque das Naçõesmodern Lisbon waterfront district (Expo 98 site)
Avenida Marginalcoastal road from Cascais to Lisbon
Cascaiscoastal town near Lisbon
percursoroute / course
bicicleta estáticaexercise bike
gratidãogratitude
alíviorelief
agudosharp / acute
escola secundáriasecondary school
consciente do corpobodily awareness
colocar no calendárioto put in the calendar / schedule

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