O Dossier Secreto

Uma jornalista investiga licenças de construção suspeitas e descobre uma empresa fantasma ligada a um vereador da câmara.

Theme verbinvestigar—to investigate

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Story opening — Portuguese with English Translation

Rita Tavares é jornalista de investigação no Público há oito anos. Não é uma pessoa que larga um fio quando o encontra. Em março, recebe uma denúncia anónima por correio electrónico: um vereador da câmara municipal de uma cidade do litoral terá aprovado licenças de construção irregulares em terrenos protegidos. O denunciante inclui três números de processo.

Rita Tavares has been an investigative journalist at Público for eight years. She is not someone who drops a thread when she finds one. In March, she receives an anonymous tip by e-mail: a city councillor is said to have approved irregular construction permits on protected land. The informant includes three process numbers.

Rita começa pelos registos públicos. Os três processos existem. As licenças foram aprovadas num prazo invulgarmente curto — menos de quinze dias para obras que normalmente demoram meses a ser aprovadas. Rita investiga os proprietários dos terrenos. Encontra uma empresa de nome "Terras do Sol, Lda." com sede num apartamento em Lisboa. Os sócios são dois nomes que não conhece.

Rita starts with the public records. The three processes exist. The permits were approved in an unusually short period — less than fifteen days for works that normally take months to be approved. Rita investigates the owners of the land. She finds a company called "Terras do Sol, Lda." with its registered office in a Lisbon apartment. The partners are two names she does not recognise.

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Vocabulary Glossary

WordMeaning
dossierdossier, file
secretosecret
jornalistajournalist
investigaçãoinvestigation
investigarto investigate
háago; there is/are (time expression)
oitoeight
anosyears
nãonot; no
éis (3rd person singular of ser)
pessoaperson
largadrops, lets go (3rd person singular of largar)
largarto drop, to let go of
fiothread, lead
encontrafinds (3rd person singular of encontrar)
encontrarto find
marçoMarch
recebereceives (3rd person singular of receber)
receberto receive
denúncia anónimaanonymous tip-off
correio electrónicoe-mail
vereadorcity councillor
câmara municipalcity council, town hall
cidadecity
litoralcoast, coastline
terá aprovadois said to have approved (future perfect of aprovar, expressing conjecture)
aprovarto approve
licença de construçãobuilding permit
licençaspermits, licences
irregularesirregular, unlawful
terreno protegidoprotected land
terrenoslands, plots of land
protegidosprotected (masculine plural)
denuncianteinformant, whistleblower
incluiincludes (3rd person singular of incluir)
incluirto include
trêsthree
númerosnumbers
processoprocess, case file
começastarts (3rd person singular of começar)
começarto start, to begin
registos públicospublic records
registosrecords, registers
públicospublic (masculine plural)
processosprocesses, case files
existemexist (3rd person plural of existir)
existirto exist
foram aprovadaswere approved (passive, feminine plural)
prazodeadline, period, timeframe
invulgarmenteunusually
curtoshort (in duration or length)
menosless, fewer
quinzefifteen
diasdays
obrasconstruction works
normalmentenormally, usually
demoramtake (time) (3rd person plural of demorar)
demorarto take (time), to delay
mesesmonths
ser aprovadasto be approved
investigainvestigates (3rd person singular of investigar)
proprietáriosowners
empresa fantasmashell company
empresacompany
nomename
sederegistered office, headquarters
apartamentoapartment, flat
sóciospartners, associates
doistwo
nomesnames
conheceknows, recognises (3rd person singular of conhecer)
conhecerto know, to be acquainted with
telefonaphones, calls (3rd person singular of telefonar)
telefonarto phone, to call
ouvirto hear, to listen to
antes debefore
publicarto publish
negadenies (3rd person singular of negar)
negarto deny
tudoeverything, all
pedeasks for, requests (3rd person singular of pedir)
pedirto ask for, to request
maismore
tempotime
responderto answer, to respond
dágives (3rd person singular of dar)
darto give
quarenta e oitoforty-eight
horashours
respondeanswers (3rd person singular of responder)
quinta-feiraThursday
seguintefollowing, next
artigoarticle
ocupaoccupies, takes up (3rd person singular of ocupar)
ocuparto occupy, to take up
primeira páginafront page
sexta-feiraFriday
manhãmorning
apresentapresents, submits (3rd person singular of apresentar)
apresentarto present, to submit
demissãoresignation
cadeia de propriedadeownership chain
redaçãonewsroom
intermediáriointermediary
quantohow much
temhas (3rd person singular of ter)
terto have
publicaçãopublication
qualwhat, which
segredosecret
jornalismojournalism
jornalismo de investigaçãoinvestigative journalism
segundoaccording to
investigasyou investigate (2nd person singular present of investigar)
investigamoswe investigate (1st person plural present of investigar)
investigamthey investigate (3rd person plural present of investigar)
investigueiI investigated (1st person singular preterite of investigar)
investigasteyou investigated (2nd person singular preterite of investigar)
investigouinvestigated (3rd person singular preterite of investigar)
investigámoswe investigated (1st person plural preterite of investigar)
investigaramthey investigated (3rd person plural preterite of investigar)
investigareiI will investigate (1st person singular future of investigar)
investigarásyou will investigate (2nd person singular future of investigar)
investigaráwill investigate (3rd person singular future of investigar)
investigaremoswe will investigate (1st person plural future of investigar)
investigarãothey will investigate (3rd person plural future of investigar)
investigandoinvestigating (gerund of investigar)
investigadoinvestigated (past participle of investigar)
construçãoconstruction
aprovadoapproved (past participle of aprovar)
aprovadasapproved (feminine plural past participle)
correiomail, post
anónimaanonymous (feminine)
câmaracouncil, chamber
municipalmunicipal, of the city/town
páginapage
primeirafirst (feminine)
suahis/her (possessive)

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