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Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

comboio maldito

English translation:

train from Hell

    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2013-12-17 10:54:11 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Dec 13, 2013 12:21
10 yrs ago
Portuguese term

comboio maldito

Portuguese to English Social Sciences History Contemporary history
I am translating an article about the flight of Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe. I have come across the term "o comboio maldito" a section heading dealing with the sealed train that carried refugees across Spain. "The cursed/damned train" doesn't seem appropriate, nor does "train of the damned". Any suggestions. Thanks.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 train from Hell
1 +2 damnable/ infamous / execrable / despicable / doomed convoy (train)
3 death train
3 accursed train

Discussion

Douglas Bissell Dec 16, 2013:
That is why I said "from" rather than "to"
airmailrpl Dec 16, 2013:
"train from Hell" "train from Hell" does not seem very appropriate since "they were being carried to safety and freedom, not death"
Stewart Lloyd-Jones (asker) Dec 14, 2013:
Hi again, Muriel. I appreciate your point, but the context is that it is a section header, used in isolation. The text is about a sealed train, but the term "comboio maldito" does not appear in the actual text - just in the header. I have given all the context I am able to in the circumstances.
Muriel Vasconcellos Dec 14, 2013:
I meant the text in Portuguese I understand your explanation, but i you look at other questions, you will see that without exception several sentences or a paragraph of context is provided in the source language. Often the solution lies beyond the single phrase that the asker has posted.
Stewart Lloyd-Jones (asker) Dec 14, 2013:
Muriel. The context is a sealed train carrying refugees from France across Spain to Portugal. Fleeing the Nazis towards freedom. Hence my belief "damned" etc. is not appropriate - they were being carried to safety and freedom, not death
Nick Taylor Dec 13, 2013:
or it could be.. ...that sh*t of a train...or even worse! Although i am sure words are not enough!
Muriel Vasconcellos Dec 13, 2013:
Could we have more context, please? It's difficult to propose an answer that will fit the sentence structure and the overall context without seeing the original text.
Stewart Lloyd-Jones (asker) Dec 13, 2013:
My difficulty is that the refugees were being carried to their freedom, not to their doom.

Proposed translations

+3
50 mins
Selected

train from Hell

At least indicates that hell is where they were coming from, not where they were going to
Note from asker:
Thanks Douglas.
Peer comment(s):
agree Muriel Vasconcellos : This seems to be the closest, though without context it's really hard to tell.
8 hrs
Thanks Muriel
agree Nick Taylor : yes - where they are coming from - seems treasonable
19 hrs
Thanks Nick. reasonable or treasonable?
agree airmailrpl
2 days 23 hrs
thanks
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "In the context, this seems the most appropriate"
+2
10 mins

damnable/ infamous / execrable / despicable / doomed convoy (train)

.
Note from asker:
Hi. First time on here, so probably didn't provide enough context, for which I apologise. The train was carrying people to their freedom in Portugal, from where they continued to North America. Not to their death. Sorry.
Peer comment(s):
agree Verginia Ophof
14 mins
agree Margarida Ataide
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
12 mins

death train

www.amazon.com › ... › History › Europe › Belgium‎Traduzir esta página
The Twentieth Train: The True Story of the Ambush of the Death Train to Auschwitz [Marion ... The Spring of 1943 was a desperate season for the Jews of Brussels.
Note from asker:
Hi. It was the sealed train that carried refugees from Spain to Portugal, from where most of them carried on to North America and their freedom.
Something went wrong...
11 hrs

accursed train

accursed train
Something went wrong...
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