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A montanha pariu um ratito

English translation: the mountain gave birth to a mouse

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:A montanha pariu um ratito
English translation:the mountain gave birth to a mouse
Entered by: David Warwick

10:59 Mar 6, 2007
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Portuguese term or phrase: A montanha pariu um ratito
I think this must be a saying. It's from Angolan Portuguese, but I've found a reference on the net from a site in Portugal. Here's the complete phrase, referring to the unacceptable situation in the country: "«Só agora descobriram que a montanha pariu um ratito, um nado morto para outros».

Any ideas?
thanks
David Warwick
Local time: 17:45
the mountain gave birth to a mouse
Explanation:
well known expression

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Note added at 12 mins (2007-03-06 11:11:48 GMT)
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The mighty mountain gave birth to a little mouse. , March 24, 2005 ... as a reader I'd expect to receive at least a definition of the relevant terms: ...
www.amazon.com/Short-History-Ethics-Philosophy-Twentieth/dp... -
Selected response from:

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 18:45
Grading comment
Thanks for all the comments. I'd never heard this phrase before, but it fits perfectly and allows me to continue with the stillborn idea in the next clause.
Thanks for the reference to the Bard, but in this case it's not much ado about nothing, but rather that after seemingly great efforts the results were underwhelming.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5Much ado about nothing; to make a mountain out of a molehill
Maria Teresa Bermudes
4 +2the mountain gave birth to a mouse
CMJ_Trans (X)
5 +1to make a mountain out of a molehill
Rosene Zaros
5it was a fiasco
airmailrpl
4The mountain shook, (but only) a mouse was born
Wagner Azevedo


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
it was a fiasco


Explanation:
Results 1 - 8 of about 14 for "a montanha pariu um ratito"

Jornal de Negócios Online :: Economia --
... tem sido um verdadeiro fiasco...a montanha pariu um ratito e ele fugiu. ... tem sido um verdadeiro fiasco...a montanha pariu um ratito e ele fugiu. ...
www.negocios.pt/default.asp?CpContentId=279133&ListComment=...


airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 13:45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 64
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
the mountain gave birth to a mouse


Explanation:
well known expression

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2007-03-06 11:11:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The mighty mountain gave birth to a little mouse. , March 24, 2005 ... as a reader I'd expect to receive at least a definition of the relevant terms: ...
www.amazon.com/Short-History-Ethics-Philosophy-Twentieth/dp... -

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 18:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks for all the comments. I'd never heard this phrase before, but it fits perfectly and allows me to continue with the stillborn idea in the next clause.
Thanks for the reference to the Bard, but in this case it's not much ado about nothing, but rather that after seemingly great efforts the results were underwhelming.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Paula Vaz-Carreiro: yes indeed!
1 hr
agree  Henrique Magalhaes
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Much ado about nothing; to make a mountain out of a molehill


Explanation:
As the Great Bard himself said... interestingly, this proverb is based on Aesop's 'A Mountain in Labour'.

See this:
"A MOUNTAIN was once greatly agitated. Loud groans and noises were heard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the matter. While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse.

Moral: Don't make much ado about nothing."



    Reference: http://www.mtannoyances.com/?p=344
Maria Teresa Bermudes
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:45
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henrique Serra
17 mins
  -> Obrigada Henrique!
agree  oxygen4u: :)
1 hr
  -> Thank you Oxygen!
agree  R. Alex Jenkins: Both expressions are widely used in English
1 hr
  -> Thank you Richard!
agree  rhandler
3 hrs
agree  Marina FS
3 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to make a mountain out of a molehill


Explanation:
The idea is that something quite small (generally an issue or conflict of some sort) becomes a big deal.

Rosene Zaros
United States
Local time: 12:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cristina Santos
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Cristina!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The mountain shook, (but only) a mouse was born


Explanation:
:)

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Note added at 4 hrs (2007-03-06 15:23:24 GMT)
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it is a saying

Wagner Azevedo
Brazil
Local time: 13:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: Portuguese
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