Jul 5, 2019 17:45
4 yrs ago
Portuguese term

Eu tenho nada com isso?

Non-PRO Portuguese to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
What has me confused about this sentence is the question mark. I would normally translate this as "I've got nothing to do with this," but I'm wondering if, given the question mark, it would be acceptable to translate it as "What have I got to do with this?" The context is another character directing his desperate please (my last post) to this narrator, who had previously considered himself a bystander. Thanks for your suggestions!
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

PRO (1): JohnMcDove

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Discussion

Oliver Simões Jul 6, 2019:
AJSComm Can you post the actual script of the talks between the different characters? I think this would make it easier to understand and translate. Thanks!

Proposed translations

4 hrs
Selected

What has it got to do with me?

What has it got to do with me?
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you Nick. I was uncertain whether it could be phrased as a question with that wording. While I'm grateful to Lucas for the additional background on expressing incredulity or absurdity, I think for simplicity's sake I'd like to leave the sentence as a question. Thank you all!"
+2
6 mins

What do you mean I've got nothing to do with this?

It's a bit difficult to know without more context, but sometimes in Brazilian Portuguese we will repeat a sentence said or idea conveyed previously in the form of a question. The intention is usually to express that said sentence or idea is absurd, and question the behavior of the person who said it.
Peer comment(s):

agree JohnMcDove
2 mins
Thank you, John.
agree Douglas Bissell
15 hrs
Thank you, Douglas
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22 mins

(Do you think) It's none of my business? / Is it none of my business?

O colega devia colocar a frase toda. De outra forma, a ajuda é muito menos certeira...
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5 hrs

I don´t have any deal with that

I don´t have any deal with that
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Reference comments

21 hrs
Reference:

MASSACRE NO KM 13

— Que homem mais desmarcado, virgem.
Rimos. Alguém traz a novilha, que cheira os bagos e a rola do garimpeiro e depois abocanha aquele úbere tesudo.
— Daqui a pouco — diz Donga — só sai sangue.
O garimpeiro urra. Parece porco entrando na faca.
— Muito bem, meninos. Acabou? — pergunto.
— Falta um só — diz Ciríaco.
— Depressa, então. Vai anoitecer.
O menino que masca fumo, depois de cochichar com o Ciríaco, vai ao armazém e volta com uma marreta e um cepo de jaqueira ainda verde. O garimpeiro se pega com todos os santos, pede pela minha mãe, pela luz que me alumia, pela felicidade de meus filhos. Eu tenho nada com isso? Fale com Ciríaco, dei carta branca a ele, por causa de Do Carmo, que nem pode andar, esfolada por dentro e por fora.
Puxam a calça do garimpeiro, sujeitam o homem, põem os bagos em cima do cepo e afastam a rola.
— Vi capar muito garrote assim no sertão — diz Donga.
Ciríaco levanta a marreta.
— Esfarelou — diz Joana.
Por hoje chega. Os meninos ficam por ali, conversando, atentos e cansados como carniceiros que acabam de esquartejar uma rês. Pego Donga por um braço e caminhamos para casa. Os xexéus, com grandes manchas amarelas nas penas, fazem no jenipapeiro uma algazarra parecida com a de periquitos.


MASSACRE NO KM 13
pp. 35-36
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