Përkthime - Portugjeze braziliane-Anglisht - Sou obra prima e única, enviada por Deus

Ian,

Portuguese original means, in a rough and litteral translation, "I am masterpiece and unique work, sent by God". In fact, we have two adjectives ["prima" and "única"], referring to the same noun ["obra"].

To keep that structure, I'd to give up from the word "masterpiece" and use a periphrasic construction, "most outstanding", but this brings the article with.

The original text is clear in that the person is a masterpiece, but not the only one (such a paradox here). So I ask you: what's the best way to solve that?

Maybe "I am a very outstanding..."?

CC: IanMegill2

Could we say
I am a unique masterpiece, sent (given?) by God

I am a wonderful, unique work of art, given by God?

"Traduttori, traditori"

It seems this can't be translating without losing a bit of sense.

Gentlemen, the candidates:

1) I am the most outstanding and unique work...: here the indefiniteless of the word "work" is gone.

2) I am a very outstanding and unique work...: here we lose the sense of "masterpiece".

3) I am a unique masterpiece...: good one, but we lose the conjunction.

4) I am a wonderful, unique work of art...: that's bad! Too far from the original sense.

"Obra" means "work" in a general sense. "work of art" would be "obra de arte".

"Enviada" means "sent (fem.) as a messenger", therefore we can't use "given" here.

Anyway, it seems to me that #3 is the "less bad" one. What do you think?

Yup, I think we have to sacrifice the grammar here, to get the meaning perfect:I like #3 best, too.
(It's also very natural in English, too!)

#3 has already taken over as President.

One last question before I validate it, goncin!

sent by God
would mean
sent here to do some important work

sent from God
would mean
given as a present to this world

I think the meaning here is
sent from God

Is that right?

I would still insist on "sent by God", Ian. The meaning is totally unrelated to the idea of "present, gift".

Great! Thanks, goncin!