Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Portuguese term or phrase:
Parágrafo único
English translation:
Paragraph One / Sub-clause 1
Portuguese term
Brazil
32 years engineering/law/contracts
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
, Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian) 
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
Parágrafo único
The problem is "sole paragraph" is not an expression of the English law jargon. It was an invention of a Brazilian translator who published a dictionary and had no solution for that, since it makes no sence to have a single numbered sub-item in a clause.
So I'm asking, please, for alternatives to "sole paragraph", that would sound correct in English, as opposed to this traditional translation.
I would be very thankful if we find a decent solution for this issue.
TIA.
Jan 18, 2017 03:54: Mario Freitas Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
Subparagraph/sub-clause + number (subparagraph (i) or (a)...etc.)
"Numbering Paragraphs
Contracts are designed to flow. Contracts are often skimmed and they serve as a representation of an agreement that was reached between two parties working together. The issue is, when contracts are reviewed, the parties disagree over the agreement they have. The contract is designed to clear that up. For that reason, contract sentences should be short. Contract paragraphs should only contain one point. Anything that works with a particular paragraph, should be placed in a subparagraph. That is where numbering paragraphs and indenting is helpful. Numbering systems vary, but the most useful system is one that allows the sub paragraph to reference the primary clause. This system allows, even when simply scanning, the reader to see how certain terms are grouped together."
http://www.gordonarata.com/720DE/assets/files/lawarticles/Be...
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-contracts-forms/do...
| agree |
Paulinho Fonseca
2 hrs
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Obrigada, Paulinho (:
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| agree |
Ma. Alejandra Padilla-LaCour
2368 days
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Brazil
Experienced EN-PT Translator _ 5ys+ exp
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
single paragraph
| agree |
Ana Silva Dias
: Tendo em conta que o parágrafo único pode surgir após os parágrafos numerados na cláusula, penso que esta solução faz sentido. Quanto mais simples, mais clara é a leitura do contrato.
1955 days
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United Kingdom
Fast, accurate, and confident jobs.
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese, Spanish to English
Sole paragraph
| Acho que você não leu o post todo. Isto é o que não é. |
United States
Paragraph One of One
Brazil
PT/EN Translator - ABRATES Certified
Native in: English (Variants: UK, British) , Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian)
Works in: Portuguese to English, English to Portuguese
paragraph
'The paragraph to the .... Law/Act'. O fato do uso de 'the' com paragraph no singular sugere que só pode ser o parágrafo único.
Discussion
I believe that's why in an American or English contract the references to sections/clauses are usually in the lines of Section/Article/Clause I(b)(i) (e.g.) - it doesn't matter, in my view, whether it has only one or more paragraphs or subparagrahs. When I translate contracts with these references I usually provide a detailed description.
The link below also provides instructions but appears to compare the USA and the British systems.
http://www.weagree.com/weblog?topic=13
I like Ana's solution, too.
There's a similar discussion here:
http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/parágrafo-único.18578...
I'll give it some thought and may come back here with a suggestion......but it's a tough one for sure. Google has 29,300 hits for "sole paragraph"....I'm not saying it's correct, just saying it has sort of become the standard translation.
So I would say that even if it's only one we should always refer to its number. I think that "sole paragraph" is only used when referring to the agenda of a meeting.