[AMERICAN IDIOMS] VOCÊ SABE O SIGNIFICADO DE “SWAMPED (WITH WORK)” EM PORTUGUÊS?

Final de mais um semestre letivo e é hora de recarregar as baterias para mais um ano que surge: 2012. Todos nós sabemos que nesse período, para quem é professor, é uma correria para corrigir provas e entregar os resultados.

Nesse contexto, lembrei-me de uma expressão idiomática que aprendi nos Estados Unidos. Trata-se de “swamped with work”. Ouvi e mesma de um chefe quando eu estava pedindo para que me explicasse o que fazer no cassino onde trabalhávamos.

VEJAMOS ALGUNS EXEMPLOS:

All the stores in Mossoró are crowed in this time of the year and all the clerks are swamped with work.

(Todas as lojas em Mossoró estão lotadas durante esse período do ano e todos os atendentes estão atolados em trabalho.)

I can’t go to the beach with you folks tomorrow; I have many things to do. I am swamped with work.

(não vou poder ir para a praia com vocês amanhã; estou com muitas coisas para fazer. Estou cheio de trabalho).

Nesse momento, estou corrigindo os trabalhos dos meus alunos, ou seja, I’m swamped with work. A palavra “swamp” significa “pântano”, nesse contexto, podemos entender a ligação com “atolado”.

OUTRA EXPRESSÃO COM SWAMP:

To be swamped with call/ letters...

Receber uma enxurrada de ligações/ chamadas...

Gostou da dica? Até a próxima.

See you guys! @BRUNOCORIOLANO

Vejam um comercial da APPLE Computers fazendo uso dessa expressão idiomática (idiom):

Politics in Brazil: Dilma tries to drain the swamp

As another minister goes, Brazil’s president may find that the price of trying to clean up politics involves forgoing reforms the country needs

SHE arrived in the presidential palace with a reputation as a no-nonsense manager, but one who had never previously held elected office. Almost eight months into her term as Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff has found herself sucked into the political swamp that is Brasília. She has reacted firmly to corruption scandals, and is striving to trim budget pork and to fill senior government jobs on merit rather than through political connections. Her reward has been signs of mutiny in her coalition. With the world economy deteriorating, whether Ms Rousseff can impose her authority on her allies matters a lot for Brazil’s prospects.

In June the president dawdled before dispensing with Antonio Palocci, her chief of staff, after allegations of past influence-peddling had made his position untenable. Since then she has been quick to nip any scandal in the bud. When Veja, a weekly magazine, published evidence of systematic overbilling on contracts at the transport ministry, the president fired dozens of officials, including the minister. Next Veja reported on similar overpayments and kickbacks at the agriculture ministry. The number two at the ministry was sacked; on August 17th the minister, Wagner Rossi, a sidekick of the vice-president, Michel Temer, resigned. This month police arrested more than 30 officials in the tourism ministry, including the deputy minister, on suspicion of stealing public money intended for training hotel staff ahead of the 2014 football World Cup. In the midst of all this the president sacked the defence minister after he insulted some of her closest aides in an interview.