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C2  ·  32 words

The history of technology in Portuguese

Why the best solution is not the one that wins.

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From these 32 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

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The nineteenth entry is o inquérito ao acidente, and the noun in the middle of it has no single English partner. « An inquest » is not a general investigation at all. In Britain it is a hearing held by a coroner, and it is held for one reason only, which is that somebody has died. It has no defendant, apportions no blame, and ends in a finding as to how the death came about. « An inquiry » is the wider thing: a body set up to establish what went wrong with a bridge, a ferry or a railway, and « a public inquiry » is the formal version of it, with counsel, witnesses and a report that names failures rather than criminals. « An investigation » is what the police or a safety board carry out, and it can run beside both. So o inquérito ao acidente after a collapse is « the inquiry into the accident », and it becomes « the inquest » only where there are deaths to account for. One note on spelling: writing in Britain keeps « enquiry » for asking a question and « inquiry » for the formal proceeding.

The words

Phrase (2)

peças intercambiáveisinterchangeable partsPhraseC2
As peças intercambiáveis mudaram a oficina inteira.Interchangeable parts changed the whole workshop.
género e técnicagender and technologyPhraseC2
A investigação sobre género e técnica é recente.Research on gender and technology is recent.

Noun (f) (17)

Grammar for these: Definite article: o, a, os, as · Contractions: do, na, ao, pelo

a fixação num caminhopath dependenceNoun (f)C2
A fixação num caminho começou com uma escolha pequena.Path dependence began with one small choice.
a inércia técnicatechnical inertiaNoun (f)C2
A inércia técnica atrasa qualquer mudança de norma.Technical inertia holds back any change of standard.
a disputa de normasthe standards battleNoun (f)C2
A disputa de normas durou uma geração.The standards battle lasted a generation.
a interoperabilidadeinteroperabilityNoun (f)C2
Sem interoperabilidade, cada fábrica fica sozinha.Without interoperability, every factory stands alone.
a prática de oficinaworkshop practiceNoun (f)C2
A prática de oficina não estava em nenhum manual.Workshop practice was in no manual.
a organização científica do trabalhoscientific managementNoun (f)C2
A organização científica do trabalho mediu cada gesto.Scientific management measured every movement.
a desqualificaçãodeskillingNoun (f)C2
A desqualificação do ofício veio com a máquina.The deskilling of the trade came with the machine.
a destruição de máquinasmachine-breakingNoun (f)C2
A destruição de máquinas foi lida como desordem e não como protesto.Machine-breaking was read as disorder rather than as protest.
a transferência de tecnologiatechnology transferNoun (f)C2
A transferência de tecnologia raramente é completa.Technology transfer is rarely complete.
a engenharia inversareverse engineeringNoun (f)C2
A engenharia inversa partiu de uma peça comprada.The reverse engineering started from a part bought on the open market.
a espionagem industrialindustrial espionageNoun (f)C2
A espionagem industrial acompanha a história da fiação.Industrial espionage runs alongside the history of spinning.
a perceção do riscorisk perceptionNoun (f)C2
A perceção do risco muda mais depressa do que a técnica.Risk perception changes faster than the technology does.
a regulação depois de uma catástroferegulation after a disasterNoun (f)C2
A regulação depois de uma catástrofe chega sempre tarde.Regulation after a disaster always arrives late.
a eletrificaçãoelectrificationNoun (f)C2
A eletrificação do campo demorou décadas.The electrification of the countryside took decades.
a tensão da redethe mains voltageNoun (f)C2
A tensão da rede era diferente em cada cidade.The mains voltage was different in every town.
a máquina a funcionar no museuthe working machine in the museumNoun (f)C2
A máquina a funcionar no museu ensina mais do que a vitrina.The working machine in the museum teaches more than the display case.
a pergunta contrafactualthe counterfactual questionNoun (f)C2
A pergunta contrafactual ajuda a ver o que estava em aberto.The counterfactual question helps one see what was still open.

Noun (m) (13)

Grammar for these: Definite article: o, a, os, as · Contractions: do, na, ao, pelo

o grande sistema técnicothe large technical systemNoun (m)C2
A rede elétrica é um grande sistema técnico.The electricity grid is a large technical system.
o parque instaladothe installed baseNoun (m)C2
O parque instalado decide mais do que a qualidade.The installed base decides more than quality does.
o efeito de redethe network effectNoun (m)C2
O efeito de rede favorece quem chegou primeiro.The network effect favours whoever arrived first.
o emaranhado de patentesthe patent thicketNoun (m)C2
O emaranhado de patentes travou a produção durante anos.The patent thicket held up production for years.
o saber tácitotacit knowledgeNoun (m)C2
O saber tácito sai da fábrica com quem se reforma.Tacit knowledge leaves the factory with whoever retires.
o fracasso como fontefailure as a sourceNoun (m)C2
O fracasso como fonte diz mais do que o catálogo.Failure as a source says more than the catalogue does.
o inquérito ao acidentethe accident inquiryNoun (m)C2
O inquérito ao acidente mudou as regras de construção.The accident inquiry changed the building rules.
o desusodisuseNoun (m)C2
A máquina caiu em desuso sem nunca ter avariado.The machine fell into disuse without ever having broken down.
o historial de manutençãothe maintenance recordNoun (m)C2
O historial de manutenção conta a vida da máquina.The maintenance record tells the life of the machine.
o utilizador como inventorthe user as inventorNoun (m)C2
O utilizador como inventor aparece em quase todas as oficinas.The user as inventor turns up in almost every workshop.
o desemprego tecnológicotechnological unemploymentNoun (m)C2
O desemprego tecnológico foi discutido muito antes dos computadores.Technological unemployment was discussed long before computers.
o património industrialindustrial heritageNoun (m)C2
A antiga fábrica foi classificada como património industrial.The old factory was listed as industrial heritage.
o desenho técnico como fontethe technical drawing as a sourceNoun (m)C2
O desenho técnico como fonte mostra o que se pensou fazer.The technical drawing as a source shows what somebody meant to build.

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