The News In Portuguese: Financial Times Says The Brazilian Economy is “A Difficult Bike to Pedal.”

Try to test your Portuguese skills by deciphering this article from BBC Brasil on Brazil’s Economy written in Portuguese! Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts: portugueseblogger@gmail.com

 

Also, use this dictionary of financial terms that i made if you need help!

Economia brasileira é ‘bicicleta difícil de pedalar,’ diz ‘Financial Times

A forte valorização do real e o aumento da disponibilidade de crédito como consequência do grande fluxo de capitais para o Brasil ameaçam interromper o ciclo de crescimento econômico do país, segundo adverte um editorial do jornal britânico Financial Times publicado nesta sexta-feira.

Em um texto intitulado “Feridas brasileiras”, o jornal compara a economia brasileira a uma bicicleta. “Ela funciona enquanto estiver em movimento”, diz o editorial. “Agora, porém, está ficando mais difícil pedalar.”

O jornal observa que o real se valorizou 40% em termos reais desde 2006 e que no mesmo período as importações brasileiras quase dobraram, enquanto as exportações cresceram apenas 5%.

“A única razão pela qual o déficit em conta corrente brasileiro não explodiu são os altos preços das commodities. Mas esse boom pode não durar para sempre”, alerta o jornal.

Crédito

O editorial comenta ainda que a liquidez em abundância também ajudou a impulsionar o crédito doméstico, mas que os consumidores brasileiros agora parecem estar sobrecarregados, gastando mais que um quarto de suas rendas para o pagamento de empréstimos – nível superior ao verificado nos Estados Unidos no período anterior à crise de 2008.

Para o jornal, o crescimento do crédito no Brasil somente pode ocorrer se a renda também continuar a crescer.

“É aí que a bicicleta econômica se depara com a trincheira da guerra cambial”, afirma o jornal, observando que o aumento da renda eleva a demanda e a pressão inflacionária, exigindo o aumento dos juros, que atraem mais capital externo, elevando ainda mais a cotação da moeda, aumentando com isso a atração das importações e prejudicando a competitividade das exportações.

“O resultado é um déficit em conta corrente mais amplo, e um limite no crescimento exigido nos salários para manter o crédito doméstico crescendo com segurança”, diz o jornal.

Soluções

O editorial afirma que uma das maneiras de contornar o problema seria conter a valorização da moeda, mas observa que o governo brasileiro já tentou medidas como controles parciais de capitais e grandes intervenções no mercado cambial, mas sem sucesso.

Outra possibilidade seria o corte de gastos públicos, dificultados pelo Congresso.

Um terceiro caminho seria a elevação dos impostos sobre o setor de commodities, mas o texto observa que mesmo outras economias ricas em commodities e com melhor administração, como o Chile e a Austrália, estão sofrendo com problemas semelhantes e que os problemas no Brasil são mais agudos por causa do tamanho da economia do país.

O editorial conclui dizendo que “a bicicleta brasileira ainda não está arriscada a parar”. “Mas está balançando”, finaliza o texto.

*Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/noticias/2011/07/110708_brasil_economia_editorial_ft_rw.shtml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

“Se Beber, Não Dirija”: Drunk Driving in Brazil – A National Epidemic – A Lei Seca & Brazilian Ads Against Drunk Driving

DRUNK DRIVING IN BRAZIL:

RECORD DEATHS, BLITZ CONTROVERSY, POLICE CHECKPOINTS, PROVOCATIVE AD CAMPAIGNS, RANDOM BREATHALIZING, & A DRUNK VALET

“a famosa lei seca, que esta apavorando muitos”

If you’ve been to Brazil, you have probably seen ads like these, meant to make people think twice about driving drunk (although since they are billboards on the road, wouldn’t people already be reading them, as they are driving drunk):

"you drank and are driving? you'll look nice with a crown of flowers" (that sounds kind of odd for some reason translated into english)

"you drank and are driving? sorry to be forward, but is the widow pretty?"

In fact, drunk driving has historically been a HUGE problem in Brazil, it is completely commonplace and used to be rarely monitored or policed. After drunk driving accidents came to a critical peak, Brazil passed the “Lei Seca,” “dry law” and now people seem more scared to drive drunk at night. Now under the dry law, brazil has a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving, so you cannot drive with even trace amounts of alcohol in yur system. Since the lei seca was passed I have noticed a great increase in the number of blitz, which is the Portuguese word for when cops create a roadblock and test everyone’s blood alcohol level with a breathalyzer, called a bafômetro in Portuguese, (“bafo” means “breath”). (The word blitz comes from German.) Here are some pics of what a typical blitz may look like, yes they are intimidating:

blitz da lei seca

 

ohhhh, you got blitzed

"i passed the breathalyzer test!" "lets drink to celebrate!"

 

The prevalence of the blitz has pissed a lot of Brazilians off, but all in all it seems to be working. Despite the controversy (“controversy” in Portuguese is “polêmica“), ads and billboards against drunk driving have also become more common throughout Brazil, as the government continues to heavily campaign against this dangerous aspect of Brazilian culture.

Two bars in São Paulo, Bar Aurora and Boteco Ferraz, have innovated an incredibly clever marketing strategy, and they’ve created several commercials that have even won awards at Cannes. The concept is to campaign against drunk driving, by promoting the idea “se beber, não dirija” – “if you drink, don’t drive.”

Here is one short and funny film “the drunk valet,” one such brazilian advertisement against drunk driving. Would you let a valet who was clearly drunk drive your car?….

Portuguese Travel / Vacation Vocabulary List

Brazilian Portuguese Travel Vocabulary List:

folheto – brochure

visitante – visitor

passaporte – passport

visto – visa

turista – tourist

turismo – tourism

agência de turismo – travel agency

viajante – traveler

guia / guia turístico – guide / tour guide

mapa – map

cartões postais – postcards

pacote / pacote turístico – a (travel) package

praia – beach

campo – countryside

acampamento de férias – vacation camping site

atrações turísticas – sights, tourist attractions

roteiro de viagem – itinerary

hospedagem: accommodation

Expressions

planos para as férias – vacation plans

quais são seus planos para as férias? – what are your vacation plans?

você prefere o campo ou a praia? – do you prefer the countryside or the beach?

tirar férias – to take a vacation

vamos tirar férias de três semanas. – we’re going to take a three-week vacation.

fazer as malas – to pack your suitcases

ainda dá tempo para você fazer as malas. – there’s still time for you to pack your suitcases.

é como ir a um acampamento de férias para ele. – it’s like going to a vacation camp for him.

viajar de carro, avião, etc – to travel by car, airplane, etc.

eu prefiro viajar de carro do que de avião. – i prefer to travel by car rather than by airplane.

they bought a package tour to Australia. – eles compraram um pacote turístico para a Austrália.

isto inclui hospedagem gratuita e refeições. – it includes free accommodation and meals.

vou lhe mostrar uma das atrações turísticas da nossa cidade. – i’ll show you one of the sights of our city.

esta é uma das maiores atrações turísticas do Rio. – it is one of Rio’s major tourist attractions.

sugerimos que você siga seu roteiro de viagem. – we suggest you follow your itinerary.

A negócio ou a passeio – business or pleasure?

aproveite suas férias com sua família. – enjoy your vacation with your family.

brazilian government's tourism logo - you'll see this a lot

Brazilian Portuguese Slang Terms for Money

Here are some Portuguese slang terms for Brazilian money, with some examples of the words used in sentences.

grana – dinheiro (this is a very common slang word for money in Brazilian Portugues)

• Mãos ao alto, isso é um assalto, me passa a grana e o celulá! Hands up, this is a robbery, give me the money and the cellphone!

1 conto – 1 real (as you know, the plural of a real is “reais,” but the word conto is never pluralized, you might have 10 conto, 20 conto, 100 conto, etc.)

• Ele me deve cinquenta conto. – He owes me 50 reais.

pila – another word for a real, a Brazilian dollar. Like conto, this word doesn’t get pluralized.

• O ingresso para festa custou 10 pila. – the entrance to the party cost 10 reais.
• Ontem um mano me assaltou e levou 100 pila meu! – yesterday some guy robbed me and took 100 reais!

“tô duro!” – sem dinheiro (when you don’t have any money, “I’m broke!”)

micharia – a general term for money in a small quantity

“apertar o cinto” – to tighten one’s belt (to save money)

bolada – jackpot

“ganhar uma bolada” – to win a jackpot

bolão – sometimes this word just means “betting pool,” as men in brazil will often make when they are betting on soccer games. But a “bolão”  could also be referring to a communal way that people in brazil like to save money. How it works is, various friends or family members, usually five or six people, will “pool” their money. Each person who is participating in the bolão is required to put in the same amount, 1000 reals for example, and they keep depositing the same amount of money each month into the pool. And every month, one person gets all of the money. This goes on until everyone has had their turn at winning the jackpot.

Examples:

“vamos fazer um bolão do placar do jogo Brasil x Argentina?” – “let’s make a betting pool on the score of Brazil vs. Argentina”

Transportation – Vehicles Portuguese Vocab List

Vehicles (Veículos)

trenó– sled

 

camião do guincho – tow truck

carro – car

táxi – taxi

ônibus – bus

caminhonete – truck

picape – pick-up truck (yes, in Brazil they adopted our word for this, but it is Pronounced in a Portuguese way.)

furgão – van

caminhão – truck

carrinho – trolley

trem – train

metrô – subway, metro

navio – ship

barco – boat

balsa – ferry

helicóptero – helicopter 

avião – airplane

linha aérea – airline

jet ski – jet ski

bicicleta – bicycle

motocicleta – motorcycle (but don’t use this word, just say “moto”)

Vocab Lessons: Travel: Money

The official unit of currency in Brazil is the Real, the plural is Reais, which the Brazilian government introduced in 1994 in an attempt to control inflation. While traveling, it’s probably a bad idea to carry large wads of cash in Brazil, but it can be helpful to bring a small amount of U.S. cash ($10s or $20s only, no $100s) as an emergency supply in case that ATM is broken or your credit card isn’t working.

The best way to get cash at a reasonable exchange rate is by withdrawing money from an ATM. Brazil’s financial infrastructure is very sophisticated, and ATMs were common here even before they were used in western Europe. You will find them everywhere in Brazil, even in the smallest towns. You need to have a four-digit PIN to be able to access ATMs in Brazil. For most ATMs the limit is R$1,000,  but depending on the machine these amounts may be lower.

The vast majority of travelers find they are able to use the HSBC and Banco do Brasil ATMs bearing a PLUS/Visa and Cirrus/MasterCard logo. Almost all Brazilian airports have HSBC and Banco do Brasil ATMs. However, it’s not a bad idea to bring two different cards to increase your access options with other banks.
The best exchange rates can be obtained through credit cards, which are accepted at most Brazilian shops and hotels and restaurants. Shops often also offer discounts for using a credit card. The most commonly accepted cards are Visa and MasterCard. American Express and Diners Club are also often accepted. It’s a good idea to have at least two cards as some stores and restaurants may only accept one card (usually Visa or MasterCard; Diners and Amex are less common, especially in small towns). Keep in mind that many banks now assess a 1%-to-3% “transaction fee” on all charges you incur abroad (whether you’re using the local currency or U.S. dollars). But credit cards still may be the smart way to go when you factor in things like exorbitant ATM fees and the higher exchange rates and service fees you’ll pay with traveler’s checks. Another advantage to paying with a credit card in Brazil is that many times stores will offer a discount for paying with one! And if you pay with a credit card you almost always have the option of paying in prestações, which are installments, or monthly payments. For example, I once splurged on an expensive pair of shoes for 300 reals and the store allowed me to pay for them in installments of 100 reals (and some change because of the juros – interest) over a 3 month period!

Traveler’s checks aren’t a very good idea in Brazil. Most shops won’t accept them, hotels give a miserable exchange rate (if they cash them), and many banks have a strange policy that they will not cash your traveler’s checks unless you have an account at that branch of that bank. The Banco do Brasil is the only bank that will cash them with a minimum of hassle but will charge a US$20 service fee.

Tip: When exchanging money, be it cash or traveler’s checks, always keep the receipt. You will need it in case you want to change back any unused Reais at the end of your trip. Also, really try to avoid going to an ATM at night.

Vocabulary:

a carteira – wallet

“perdi a minha carteira” – “i lost my wallet”

os dólares – dollars

um real (pl. reais) – Brazilian reals

o dinheiro – money

os cheques de viagem – traveler’s checks

câmbio – exchange, exchange rate

casa de câmbio – place where you can exchange currency (most commonly found in malls and in airports in Brazil)

moeda – coins, change, currency

troco – change (from a transaction)

um dólar – a dollar

cartão de crédito – credit card

um centavo – a cent

uma conta – a bill, account

conta bancária – bank account

caixa eletrônico – ATM

“pode trocar…?” – “could you change/exchange….”

“aceita cartões de crédito?” – “do you accept credit cards?”

“onde posso trocar dinheiro?” – “where can i exchange money?”

nota – a bill

balanço, saldo – balance (of a bank account)

saldo devedor – an overdrawn account

*Sources:

Frommers.com

Portuguese Vocab – Transportation – Driving & Directions

Driving in Brazil can be a scary thing! Hopefully this comprehensive vocab list will make getting around in your car a less daunting experience.

Nouns

quebra mola or, lombada – speed bump

trânsito – traffic

engarrafamento – traffic jam

pasarella – overpass (also means “runway” in the fashion industry)

viela, beco – alley

pegágio – toll

faixa – lane

sinal or  semáforo – stoplight

sinal vermelho/amarelo/verde – red/yellow/green light

* To express red or green, it is also common to say “sinal fechado” – literally: “closed light” or “sinal aberto” – literally: “open light”.

rua de mão única – one-way street

contramão – wrong way

desvio – detour

saída – exit

retorno – u-turn

acostamento – road shoulder

área de descanso (nas highways) – rest area

highway – highway

estrada pavimentada – paved road

estrada de terra – unpaved road or dirt road

infração de trânsito – traffic violation

estacionamento – parking lot, parking

direção hidráulica – power steering

ar condicionado – air conditioning

seguro – insurance

map – mapa

locadora – rent-a-car agency

milhagem, quilometragem – mileage

carteira de motorista – driver’s license

placa pare - brazilian stop sign

Signs

“não polua” – don’t litter

“pare” – stop

“estacionamento proibido” – no parking

limite de velocidade – speed limit

Verbs

guinchar – to tow

dobrar – to turn (just like “virar” but used more colloquially)

engatar – to shift gears, into a gear

“arrancar o carro“- to start the car

atropelar– to run over (someone, something)

buzinar– to honk

enxingar – to yell and curse at someone (think: road rage)

rodar – to turn, spin, tour, travel, drive, walk around…

“fazer a volta” (or: “dar meia volta“) – to make a u-turn

“dar no pé” – to run away, take off

ultrapassar– to pass/go around another car on the road

Slang

“lata velha”  – (literally: “old can”) humorously used to refer to an old piece of shit car (but can be used to describe almost anything that is old, out dated, or falling apart such as a cell phone.)You could also say:

“meu carro esta caindo aos pedaços” – literally: my car is falling in pieces.

“dar um rolê”, or “dar uma volta” – commonly used slang phrases, meaning “to go for a walk or drive”, “to take a ride” or “to take a spin”

Repair

borracha/borracharia – “borracha” literally means rubber, a “borracharia” is like an auto-parts shop that sells tires (“pneus“- pronounced almost like “pey-neus” are tires). You will see these EVERYWHERE in Brazil, even in the middle of nowhere if you are taking a bus ride across country, for example, you will notice one about every 3 minutes. To own a Borracharia is a good way to make money in Brazil – driving long distances, travelers will be facing face some challenging roads and it is good to know that there is almost always a Borracharia around- just don’t let them rip you off.

farol (pl. “farois“) – headlights (also, means “lighthouse” strangely enough

pneu furado – flat tire

estepe – spare tire

oficina mecânica (or just oficina)- repair shop

mecânico – mechanic

graxa – the grease or oil that mechanics use

Gas Station

posto de gasolina – gas station

“encha o tanque, por favor” – “fill it up, please”

auto-atendimento – self service

gasolina de alta octanagem – super gasoline

gasolina comum – regular gasoline

gasolina sem chumbo, antipoluente – unleaded gasoline

Adjectives

“carro blindado“- an armored (or bulletproof) car, (often driven by rich people in Rio de Janeiro.)

Driving Directions

“siga essa rua toda a vida” – (phrase employing the imperative of the verb: “seguir“- good to know for giving directions.) Means: “follow this street as far as you can go”, or “follow this street to the end.”

Car / Vehicle Parts

o pneu – tire

o volante – steering wheel

o retrovisor – rearview mirror

a porta-luvas – glove compartment

o motor – the engine

o freio – the breaks

o cinto de segurança (or just ”o cinto”) – seatbelt

 o limpador do pára-brisa – windshield wipers

pára-brisa – windshield

a buzina – horn

faróis – headlights

o acelerador – accelerator

a bateria – battery

o capô – the hood (of a car)

a chave – the key

o espelho – the mirror

o pára-choque – the bumper

maçaneta da porta – door handle

porta-malas – trunk

paralama – mud flap

tampa do tanque – fuel tank door

teto solar – sun roof

sinal de pisca – blinker (*piscar – to blink)

Vocabulary Lesson: The Airport

Here are some phrases in Portuguese with some great vocabulary, I hope this helps!

“chuva provoca atraso de voos no Aeroporto de Salvador.” – “rain causes flight delays at the Airport of Salvador.”

o vôo (voos) – flight

o atraso – delay

atrasar – to delay, be late

atrasado/a (-os/-as) – late (adj.)

“o avião correu a pista num pouso suave e tranquilo.” – “the airplane ran down the runway with a suave and tranquil landing.”

“o avião na pista começa a aumentar a velocidade e decola.” – “the plane on the runway begins to increase in velocity and takes off.”

o avião (-ões) – airplane

a pista – runway

o pouso – landing

pousar – to land

decolar – to take off

a decolagem – the take off