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geography was never my strong point

Толкование Перевод

1 strong

stroŋ
adjective

1) (firm, sound, or powerful, and therefore not easily broken, destroyed, attacked, defeated, resisted, or affected by weariness, illness etc: strong furniture; a strong castle; a strong wind; She's a strong swimmer; He has a very strong will/personality; He has never been very strong (= healthy); He is not strong enough to lift that heavy table.) fuerte

2) (very noticeable; very intense: a strong colour; a strong smell.) fuerte

3) (containing a large amount of the flavouring ingredient: strong tea.) fuerte

4) ((of a group, force etc) numbering a particular amount: An army 20,000 strong was advancing towards the town.) que cuenta con

•

- strongly
- strength
- strengthen
- strongbox
- strong drink
- stronghold
- strong language
- strong-minded
- strong point
- strongroom
- on the strength of

strong adj

1. fuerte

the world's strongest man el hombre más fuerte del mundo

a strong smell un olor fuerte

2. fuerte / resistente

it's made of strong plastic está hecho de plástico resistente

3. firme

a man of strong beliefs un hombre de creencias firmes

strong

tr[strɒŋ]

adjective

1 (physically - person) fuerte; (- consitution) robusto,-a

■ you're not strong enough no tienes bastante fuerza

2 (material, furniture, shoes, etc) fuerte, resistente

3 (country, army) poderoso,-a, fuerte

4 (beliefs, views, principles) firme; (faith) firme, sólido,-a; (support) mucho, firme

5 (argument, evidence) contundente, convincente; (influence) grande; (protest) enérgico,-a

6 (colour) fuerte, intenso,-a, vivo,-a; (smell, food, drink) fuerte; (tea, coffee) fuerte, cargado,-a; (light) brillante

7 (resemblance, accent) fuerte, marcado,-a

8 (chance, likelihood, probability) bueno,-a

■ she's in with a strong chance tiene muchas posibilidades

9 (wind, current) fuerte

10 (good - team) fuerte; (- cast) sólido,-a

11 (currency etc) fuerte

adverb

1 fuerte

\

SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALL

to be as strong as a horse/an ox ser fuerte como un toro/un roble

to be going strong (business) ir fuerte 2 (machine etc) marchar bien 3 (elderly person) estar en plena forma

to be strong on something ser bueno,-a en algo

to be 20 «(etc)» strong (of team etc) contar con 20 (etc) miembros

to have a strong stomach tener buen estómago

strong language palabras nombre femenino plural duras, lenguaje nombre masculino fuerte

strong point fuerte nombre masculino, punto fuerte

strong room cámara acorazada

strong ['strɔŋ] adj

1) : fuerte

2) healthy: sano

3) zealous: ferviente

strong

adj.

• forcejudo, -a adj.

• forzoso, -a adj.

• forzudo, -a adj.

• fuerte adj.

• macanudo, -a adj.

• macho, -a adj.

• marcado, -a adj.

• morrocotudo, -a adj.

• picante adj.

• rancio, -a adj.

• recio, -a adj.

• redoblado, -a adj.

• robusto, -a adj.

• subido, -a adj.

• terne adj.

• tieso, -a adj.

• valiente adj.

• vigoroso, -a adj.

• válido, -a adj.

n.

• toro s.m.

• valiente s.m.

I strɔːŋ, strɒŋ
adjective stronger 'strɔːŋgər, 'strɒŋgə(r), strongest 'strɔːŋgəst, 'strɒŋgɪst

1)

a) ( physically powerful) <person/arm> fuerte

to have strong nerves — tener* (los) nervios de acero

to be strong — \<\<person\>\> ser* fuerte or fornido; ( for lifting things etc) tener* fuerza

to have a strong stomach — tener* mucho estómago; ( lit) poder* comer de todo

b) (healthy, sound) <heart/lungs> fuerte, sano; < constitution> robusto

c) ( firm) <character/leader> fuerte; < leadership> firme

2)

a) ( solid) <material/construction> fuerte, resistente

b) ( powerful) <country/army> fuerte, poderoso; <currency/economy> fuerte

c) <current/wind> fuerte

3)

a) ( deeply held) <views/beliefs> firme; < faith> firme, sólido; < support> firme

I'm a strong believer in discipline — creo firmemente en la disciplina

b) ( forceful) < protest> enérgico; <argument/evidence> de peso, contundente, convincente

he protested in the strongest possible terms — protestó de la manera más enérgica

4) ( definite)

a) <tendency/resemblance> marcado; < candidate> con muchas or buenas posibilidades

she has a strong foreign accent — tiene un fuerte or marcado acento extranjero

b) < features> marcado, pronunciado; < chin> pronunciado

5) ( good) < team> fuerte; < cast> sólido

tact is not one of her strong points — el tacto no es su punto fuerte

she's a strong swimmer — es una buena nadadora

to be strong on something: she's strong on French history — su fuerte es la historia francesa

6)

a) ( concentrated) <color/light> fuerte, intenso; <tea/coffee> cargado; <beer/painkiller> fuerte; < solution> concentrado

b) ( pungent) <smell/flavor> fuerte

c) ( unacceptable) < language> fuerte, subido de tono

7) ( in number) (no comp)

an army ten thousand strong — un ejército de diez mil hombres

II

adverb

to be going strong — \<\<car/machine\>\> marchar bien; \<\<organization\>\> ir* or marchar viento en popa

he's 85 and still going strong — tiene 85 años y sigue (estando) en plena forma

[strɒŋ]
1. ADJ
(compar stronger) (superl strongest)
1) (=physically tough) fuerte

I'm not strong enough to carry him — no soy lo suficientemente fuerte para cargar con él

• to have strong nerves — tener nervios de acero

• to have a strong stomach — (lit, fig) tener un buen estómago

- be as strong as an ox
arm I
2) (=healthy) [teeth, bones] sano; [heart] fuerte, sano

she has never been very strong — nunca ha tenido una constitución fuerte

he's getting stronger every day — (after operation) se va reponiendo poco a poco

3) (=sturdy) [material, structure, frame] fuerte

4) (=powerful) [drug, wine, cheese, wind, voice] fuerte; [coffee] fuerte, cargado; [argument, evidence] sólido, de peso; [currency] fuerte; [magnet, lens] potente; [impression, influence] grande

• music with a strong beat — música f con mucho ritmo

• we have a strong case (against them) — las razones que nosotros exponemos son muy sólidas (en contraposición a las de ellos)

5) (=firm) [opinion, belief, supporter] firme

a man of strong principles — un hombre de principios firmes

Delhi developed strong ties with Moscow — Delhi desarrolló vínculos muy estrechos con Moscú

I am a strong believer in tolerance — creo firmemente en or soy gran partidario de la tolerancia

6) (=mentally) fuerte

he has a strong personality — tiene un carácter or una personalidad fuerte

he tries to be strong for the sake of his children — intenta mostrarse fuerte por el bien de sus hijos

he is a strong leader — es un líder fuerte or sólido

he's the strong silent type — es de los muy reservados

7) (=intense) [emotion, colour, smell] fuerte, intenso; [light] potente, intenso

there was a strong smell of petrol — había un fuerte or intenso olor a gasolina

8) (=good) [team] fuerte; [candidate] bueno, firme; [marriage, relationship] sólido

he is a strong swimmer/runner — es un buen nadador/corredor

the show has a strong cast — el espectáculo tiene un buen reparto or un reparto muy sólido

a strong performance from Philippa Lilly in the title role — una actuación sólida or convincente por parte de Philippa Lilly en el papel de protagonista

• she is strong in maths — las matemáticas se le dan muy bien

• he's not very strong on grammar — no está muy fuerte en gramática

• discretion is not Jane's strong point — la discreción no es el fuerte de Jane

geography was never my strong point — la geografía nunca fue mi fuerte

• to be in a strong position — encontrarse en una buena posición

• there is a strong possibility that... — hay muchas posibilidades de que...
suit 1., 3)
9) (=severe, vehement) [words] subido de tono, fuerte; [denial] tajante

there has been strong criticism of the military regime — se ha criticado duramente el régimen militar

he has written a very strong letter of protest to his MP — ha escrito una carta de protesta muy enérgica a su diputado

strong language — (=swearing) lenguaje m fuerte; (=frank) lenguaje m muy directo

in the strongest possible terms — enérgicamente

10) (=noticeable) [resemblance] marcado; [presence] fuerte

he had a strong German accent — tenía un fuerte or marcado acento alemán

there is a strong element of truth in this — hay gran parte de verdad en esto

11) [features] pronunciado, marcado

12) (in number)

they are 20 strong — son 20 en total

a group 20 strong — un grupo de 20 (miembros etc)

a 1000-strong crowd — una multitud de 1000 personas

13) (Ling) [verb] irregular

2. ADV
*
1)

• to come on strong — (=be harsh) ser duro, mostrarse demasiado severo

don't you think you came on a bit strong there? — ¿no crees que fuiste un poco duro?, ¿no crees que te mostraste un poco severo?

she was coming on strong — (=showing attraction) se veía que él le gustaba

2)

• to be going strong, the firm is still going strong — la empresa se mantiene próspera

their marriage is still going strong after 50 years — después de 50 años su matrimonio sigue viento en popa

he was still going strong at 90 — a sus 90 años todavía se conservaba en forma

* * *

I [strɔːŋ, strɒŋ]
adjective stronger ['strɔːŋgər, 'strɒŋgə(r)], strongest ['strɔːŋgəst, 'strɒŋgɪst]

1)

a) ( physically powerful) <person/arm> fuerte

to have strong nerves — tener* (los) nervios de acero

to be strong — \<\<person\>\> ser* fuerte or fornido; ( for lifting things etc) tener* fuerza

to have a strong stomach — tener* mucho estómago; ( lit) poder* comer de todo

b) (healthy, sound) <heart/lungs> fuerte, sano; < constitution> robusto

c) ( firm) <character/leader> fuerte; < leadership> firme

2)

a) ( solid) <material/construction> fuerte, resistente

b) ( powerful) <country/army> fuerte, poderoso; <currency/economy> fuerte

c) <current/wind> fuerte

3)

a) ( deeply held) <views/beliefs> firme; < faith> firme, sólido; < support> firme

I'm a strong believer in discipline — creo firmemente en la disciplina

b) ( forceful) < protest> enérgico; <argument/evidence> de peso, contundente, convincente

he protested in the strongest possible terms — protestó de la manera más enérgica

4) ( definite)

a) <tendency/resemblance> marcado; < candidate> con muchas or buenas posibilidades

she has a strong foreign accent — tiene un fuerte or marcado acento extranjero

b) < features> marcado, pronunciado; < chin> pronunciado

5) ( good) < team> fuerte; < cast> sólido

tact is not one of her strong points — el tacto no es su punto fuerte

she's a strong swimmer — es una buena nadadora

to be strong on something: she's strong on French history — su fuerte es la historia francesa

6)

a) ( concentrated) <color/light> fuerte, intenso; <tea/coffee> cargado; <beer/painkiller> fuerte; < solution> concentrado

b) ( pungent) <smell/flavor> fuerte

c) ( unacceptable) < language> fuerte, subido de tono

7) ( in number) (no comp)

an army ten thousand strong — un ejército de diez mil hombres

II

adverb

to be going strong — \<\<car/machine\>\> marchar bien; \<\<organization\>\> ir* or marchar viento en popa

he's 85 and still going strong — tiene 85 años y sigue (estando) en plena forma

English-spanish dictionary > strong
2 strong *****

[strɒŋ]
1. adj, - er comp - est superl

(gen) forte, (sturdy: table, shoes, fabric) solido (-a), resistente, (candidate) che ha buone possibilità, (protest, letter, measures) energico (-a), (concentrated, intense: bleach, acid) concentrato (-a), (marked, pronounced: characteristic) marcato (-a), (accent) marcato (-a), forte

as strong as a horse or an ox — (powerful) forte come un toro, (healthy) sano (-a) come un pesce

he's never been very strong — è sempre stato di salute cagionevole

she's stronger than me — lei è più forte di me

there's a strong possibility that... — ci sono buone possibilità che...

there are strong indications that... — tutto sembra indicare che...

to have a strong stomach — avere uno stomaco di ferro

I have strong feelings on the matter — ho molto a cuore quel problema

to be a strong believer in — credere fermamente in

strong language — (swearing) linguaggio volgare, (frank and critical) linguaggio incisivo

he's not very strong on grammar — non è molto forte in grammatica

geography was never my strong point — la geografia non è mai stata il mio forte

they are 20 strong — sono in 20

2. adv

to be going strong — (company, business) andare a gonfie vele, (song, singer) andare forte, avere successo, (old person) essere attivo (-a)

English-Italian dictionary > strong *****
3 point

point [pɔɪnt]

pointe ⇒ 1 (a) point ⇒ 1 (b), 1 (c), 1 (e), 1 (f),1(i)-(l), 1 (n), 1 (o) endroit ⇒ 1 (c) moment ⇒ 1 (d) essentiel ⇒ 1 (g) but ⇒ 1 (h) virgule ⇒ 1 (m) diriger ⇒ 2 (a) pointer ⇒ 2 (a) indiquer ⇒ 2 (b) montrer du doigt ⇒ 3 (a)

1 noun

(a) (tip → of sword, nail, pencil etc) pointe f;

∎ trim one end of the stick into a point taillez un des bouts de la branche en pointe;

∎ his beard ended in a neat point sa barbe était soigneusement taillée en pointe;

∎ draw a star with five points dessinez une étoile à cinq branches;

∎ a dog with white points un chien aux pattes et aux oreilles blanches;

∎ an eight-point stag un cerf huit cors;

∎ to dance on points faire des pointes;

∎ on (full) point (ballet dancer) sur la pointe;

∎ on demi-point (ballet dancer) sur la demi-pointe;

∎ not to put too fine a point on it… pour dire les choses clairement…

(b) (small dot) point m;

∎ a tiny point of light un minuscule point de lumière

(c) (specific place) point m, endroit m, lieu m;

∎ intersection point point m d'intersection;

∎ meeting point (sign) point rencontre;

∎ the runners have passed the halfway point les coureurs ont dépassé la mi-parcours;

∎ we're back to our point of departure or our starting point nous sommes revenus au ou à notre point de départ;

∎ the point where the accident occurred l'endroit où l'accident a eu lieu;

∎ at that point you'll see a church on the left à ce moment-là, vous verrez une église sur votre gauche;

∎ the terrorists claim they can strike at any point in the country les terroristes prétendent qu'ils peuvent frapper n'importe où dans le pays;

∎ the bus service to Dayton and points west le service de bus à destination de Dayton et des villes situées plus à l'ouest;

∎ points south of here get little rainfall les régions situées au sud d'ici n'ont pas une grande pluviosité

(d) (particular moment) moment m; (particular period) période f;

∎ the country is at a critical point in its development le pays traverse une période ou phase critique de son développement;

∎ we are at a critical point nous voici à un point critique;

∎ there comes a point when a decision has to be made il arrive un moment où il faut prendre une décision;

∎ when it comes to the point of actually doing it quand vient le moment de passer à l'acte;

∎ when it came to the point quand le moment critique est arrivé;

∎ at one point in the discussion à un moment de la discussion;

∎ at one point in my travels au cours de mes voyages;

∎ at one point, I thought the roof was going to cave in à un moment (donné), j'ai cru que le toit allait s'effondrer;

∎ at one point in the book à un moment donné dans le livre;

∎ at this point the phone rang c'est alors que le téléphone a sonné, à ce moment-là le téléphone a sonné;

∎ at that point, I was still undecided à ce moment-là, je n'avais pas encore pris de décision;

∎ at that point in China's history à ce moment précis de l'histoire de la Chine;

∎ it's too late by this point il est déjà trop tard à l'heure qu'il est;

∎ by that point, I was too tired to move j'étais alors tellement fatigué que je ne pouvais plus bouger

(e) (stage in development or process) point m;

∎ she had reached the point of wanting a divorce elle en était (arrivée) au point de vouloir divorcer;

∎ thank God we haven't reached that point! Dieu merci, nous n'en sommes pas (encore arrivés) là!;

∎ to reach the point of no return atteindre le point de non-retour;

∎ to be at the point of death être sur le point de mourir;

∎ the conflict has gone beyond the point where negotiations are possible le conflit a atteint le stade où toute négociation est impossible;

∎ the regime is on the point of collapse le régime est au bord de l'effondrement;

∎ I was on the point of admitting everything j'étais sur le point de tout avouer;

∎ she had worked to the point of exhaustion elle avait travaillé jusqu'à l'épuisement;

∎ he was jealous to the point of madness sa jalousie confinait à la folie;

∎ he stuffed himself to the point of being sick il s'est gavé à en être malade

(f) (for discussion or debate) point m;

∎ a seven-point memorandum un mémorandum en sept points;

∎ let's go on to the next point passons à la question suivante ou au point suivant;

∎ on this point we disagree sur ce point nous ne sommes pas d'accord;

∎ I want to emphasize this point je voudrais insister sur ce point;

∎ are there any points I haven't covered? y a-t-il des questions que je n'ai pas abordées?;

∎ to make or to raise a point faire une remarque;

∎ to make the point that… faire remarquer que… + indicative;

∎ my point or the point I'm making is that… là où je veux en venir c'est que…;

∎ all right, you've made your point! d'accord, on a compris!;

∎ the points raised in her article les points qu'elle soulève dans son article;

∎ the main points to keep in mind les principaux points à garder à l'esprit;

∎ let me illustrate my point laissez-moi illustrer mon propos;

∎ to prove his point he showed us a photo pour prouver ses affirmations, il nous a montré une photo;

∎ I see or take your point je vois ce que vous voulez dire ou où vous voulez en venir;

∎ point taken! c'est juste!;

∎ he may not be home - you've got a point there! il n'est peut-être pas chez lui - ça c'est vrai!;

∎ the fact that he went to the police is a point in his favour/a point against him le fait qu'il soit allé à la police est un bon/mauvais point pour lui;

∎ I corrected her on a point of grammar je l'ai corrigée sur un point de grammaire;

∎ she was disqualified on a technical point elle a été disqualifiée pour ou sur une faute technique;

∎ to make a point of doing sth tenir à faire qch;

∎ he made a point of speaking to her il a tenu à lui adresser la parole;

∎ kindly make a point of remembering next time faites-moi le plaisir de ne pas oublier la prochaine fois

(g) (essential part, heart → of argument, explanation) essentiel m; (conclusion → of joke) chute f;

∎ I get the point je comprends, je vois;

∎ the point is (that) we're overloaded with work le fait est que nous sommes débordés de travail;

∎ we're getting off or away from the point nous nous éloignons ou écartons du sujet;

∎ that's the (whole) point! (that's the problem) c'est là (tout) le problème!; (that's the aim) c'est ça, le but!;

∎ that's not the point! là n'est pas la question!;

∎ the money is/your feelings are beside the point l'argent n'a/vos sentiments n'ont rien à voir là-dedans;

∎ get or come to the point! dites ce que vous avez à dire!, ne tournez pas autour du pot!;

∎ I'll come straight to the point je serai bref;

∎ to keep to the point ne pas s'écarter du sujet

(h) (purpose) but m; (meaning, use) sens m, intérêt m;

∎ the point of the game is to get rid of all your cards le but du jeu est de se débarrasser de toutes ses cartes;

∎ there's no point in asking him now ça ne sert à rien ou ce n'est pas la peine de le lui demander maintenant;

∎ what's the point of all this? à quoi ça sert tout ça?;

∎ I don't see the point (of re-doing it) je ne vois pas l'intérêt (de le refaire);

∎ oh, what's the point anyway! oh, et puis à quoi bon, après tout!

(i) (feature, characteristic) point m;

∎ the boss has his good points le patron a ses bons côtés;

∎ it's my weak/strong point c'est mon point faible/fort;

∎ her strong point is her sense of humour son point fort, c'est son sens de l'humour;

∎ tact has never been one of your strong points la délicatesse n'a jamais été ton fort

(j) (unit → in scoring, measuring) point m; Marketing (→ on customer loyalty card) point m;

∎ the Dow Jones index is up/down two points l'indice Dow Jones a augmenté/baissé de deux points;

∎ who scored the winning point? qui a marqué le point gagnant?;

∎ an ace is worth 4 points un as vaut 4 points;

∎ to win/to lead on points (in boxing) gagner/mener aux points;

∎ American familiar to make points with sb (find favour with) faire bonne impression à qn^□ ;

∎ School merit points bons points mpl;

∎ points competition (in cycling) classement m par points

(k) (on compass) point m;

∎ the four points of the compass les quatre points mpl cardinaux;

∎ the 32 points of the compass les 32 points mpl de la rose des vents;

∎ to alter course 16 points venir de 16 quarts;

∎ our people were scattered to all points of the compass notre peuple s'est retrouvé éparpillé aux quatre coins du monde

(l) Geometry point m;

∎ a straight line between two points une droite reliant deux points

(m) (in decimals) virgule f;

∎ five point one cinq virgule un

(n) (punctuation mark) point m;

∎ three or ellipsis points points mpl de suspension

(o) Typography & Computing (measurement) point m;

∎ 6-point type caractères mpl de 6 points

(p) Geography (promontory) pointe f, promontoire m

(q) Cars vis f platinée

(r) British Electricity (socket)

∎ (power) point prise f (de courant);

∎ eight-point distributor (in engine) distributeur m (d'allumage) à huit plots

(s) British Railways

∎ points aiguillage m

(t) (on backgammon board) flèche f, pointe f

(u) Heraldry point m

2 transitive verb

(a) (direct, aim → vehicle) diriger; (→ flashlight, hose) pointer, braquer; (→ finger) pointer, tendre; (→ telescope) diriger, braquer;

∎ to point one's finger at sb/sth montrer qn/qch du doigt;

∎ he pointed his finger accusingly at Gus il pointa un doigt accusateur vers Gus, il montra ou désigna Gus d'un doigt accusateur;

∎ to point a gun at sb braquer une arme sur qn;

∎ he pointed the rifle/the camera at me il braqua le fusil/l'appareil photo sur moi;

∎ she pointed the truck towards the garage elle tourna le camion vers le garage;

∎ he pointed the boat out to sea il a mis le cap vers le large;

∎ if anybody shows up, just point them in my direction si quelqu'un arrive, tu n'as qu'à me l'envoyer;

∎ just point me in the right direction dites-moi simplement quelle direction je dois prendre;

∎ just point him to the nearest bar tu n'as qu'à lui indiquer le chemin du bar le plus proche

(b) (indicate)

∎ to point the way indiquer la direction ou le chemin; figurative montrer le chemin, indiquer la direction à suivre;

∎ he pointed the way to future success il a montré le chemin de la réussite;

∎ her research points the way to a better understanding of the phenomenon ses recherches vont permettre une meilleure compréhension du phénomène;

∎ they point the way (in) which reform must go ils indiquent la direction dans laquelle les réformes doivent aller

(c) (in dance)

∎ to point one's toes tendre le pied

(d) Building industry (wall, building) jointoyer

(e) (sharpen → stick, pencil) tailler

(f) Linguistics mettre des signes diacritiques à

3 intransitive verb

(a) (person)

∎ to point at or to or towards sth montrer qch du doigt;

∎ she pointed left elle fit un signe vers la gauche;

∎ he pointed back down the corridor il fit un signe vers le fond du couloir;

∎ he pointed at or to me with his pencil il pointa son crayon vers moi;

∎ he was pointing at me son doigt était pointé vers moi;

∎ it's rude to point ce n'est pas poli de montrer du doigt

(b) (road sign, needle on dial)

∎ the signpost points up the hill le panneau est tourné vers le haut de la colline;

∎ a compass needle always points north l'aiguille d'une boussole indique toujours le nord;

∎ the weather vane is pointing north la girouette est orientée au nord;

∎ when the big hand points to twelve quand la grande aiguille est sur le douze

(c) (be directed, face → gun, camera) être braqué; (→ vehicle) être dirigé, être tourné;

∎ hold the gun with the barrel pointing downwards tenez le canon de l'arme pointé vers le bas;

∎ the rifle/the camera was pointing straight at me la carabine/la caméra était braquée sur moi;

∎ point your flashlight over there éclaire là-bas;

∎ insert the disk with the arrow pointing right insérez la disquette, la flèche pointée ou pointant vers la droite;

∎ the aerial should be pointing in the direction of the transmitter l'antenne devrait être tournée dans la direction de ou tournée vers l'émetteur;

∎ he walks with his feet pointing outwards il marche les pieds en dehors

(d) (dog) tomber en arrêt

4 at this point in time adverb

pour l'instant;

∎ no more details are available at this point in time pour l'instant, nous ne disposons pas d'autres détails

5 in point of fact adverb

en fait, à vrai dire

6 to the point adjective

pertinent

7 up to a point adverb

jusqu'à un certain point;

∎ did the strategy succeed? - up to a point est-ce que la stratégie a réussi? - dans une certaine mesure;

∎ productivity can be increased up to a point la productivité peut être augmentée jusqu'à un certain point;

∎ she can be persuaded, but only up to a point il est possible de la convaincre, mais seulement jusqu'à un certain point

►► Marketing point of delivery lieu m de livraison;

British point duty (of police officer, traffic warden) service m de la circulation;

∎ to be on point duty diriger la circulation;

point guard (in basketball) meneur(euse) m,f;

point of intersection point m d'intersection;

British Railways point lever levier m d'aiguille;

point of order point m de procédure;

∎ he rose on a point of order il a demandé la parole pour soulever un point de procédure;

American point man (in the forefront) précurseur m;

Computing point of presence point m de présence, point m d'accès;

Marketing point of purchase lieu m d'achat, lieu m de vente;

point of reference point m de référence;

Marketing point of sale lieu m de vente, point m de vente;

∎ at the point of sale sur le lieu de vente;

point shoes (for ballet) (chaussons mpl à) pointes fpl;

Typography & Computing point size corps m;

point source source f ponctuelle;

point of view Television & Cinema angle m du regard; (opinion) point m de vue, opinion f;

∎ from my point of view, it doesn't make much difference en ce qui me concerne, ça ne change pas grand-chose;

∎ to consider sth from all points of view considérer qch sous tous ses aspects;

point work (of ballet dancer) pointes fpl

➲ point off separable transitive verb

Mathematics (decimals) séparer par une virgule

➲ point out separable transitive verb

(a) (indicate) indiquer, montrer;

∎ I'll point the church out to you as we go by je vous montrerai ou vous indiquerai l'église quand nous passerons devant

(b) (mention, call attention to → error) signaler; (→ fact) faire remarquer;

∎ she pointed out several mistakes to us elle nous a signalé plusieurs erreurs, elle a attiré notre attention sur plusieurs erreurs;

∎ I'd like to point out that it was my idea in the first place je vous ferai remarquer que l'idée est de moi;

∎ might I point out that…? permettez-moi de vous faire observer ou remarquer que…;

∎ he pointed out that two people were missing il fit remarquer qu'il manquait deux personnes

➲ point to inseparable transitive verb

(a) (signify, denote) signifier, indiquer; (foreshadow) indiquer, annoncer;

∎ the facts point to only one conclusion les faits ne permettent qu'une seule conclusion;

∎ all the evidence points to him toutes les preuves indiquent que c'est lui;

∎ everything points to CIA involvement tout indique que la CIA est impliquée

(b) (call attention to) attirer l'attention sur;

∎ ecologists point to the destruction of forest land les écologistes attirent notre attention sur la destruction des forêts;

∎ they proudly point to the government's record ils invoquent avec fierté le bilan du gouvernement

➲ point up separable transitive verb

(of person, report) souligner, mettre l'accent sur; (of event) faire ressortir;

∎ his account points up the irony of the defeat son exposé met l'accent sur l'ironie de la défaite;

∎ the accident points up the need for closer cooperation l'accident fait ressortir le besoin d'une coopération plus étroite

Un panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > point
4 point

point [pɔɪnt]

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1. noun

2. plural noun

3. transitive verb

4. intransitive verb

5. compounds

6. Phrasal Verbs

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1. noun

   a. ( = sharp end) pointe f

• a knife with a sharp point un couteau très pointu

• to dance on points faire les pointes

• not to put too fine a point on it ( = frankly) pour être franc

   b. ( = dot) point m ; ( = decimal point) virgule f (décimale)

• three point six (3.6) trois virgule six (3,6)

   c. (in space, in time) point m

• the highest point in the district le point culminant de la région

• at that point in the road à cet endroit de la route

• he had reached a point where he began to doubt whether... il en était arrivé à se demander si...

• to reach a low point [morale] être au plus bas ; [production, reputation] toucher le fond

• from that point onwards à partir de ce moment

• at this or that point (in space) à cet endroit ; (in time) à ce moment-là

• at this point in time à ce stade

► point of + noun

• there was no point of contact between them ils n'avaient aucun point commun

• point of departure point m de départ

• point of entry point m d'entrée

• to reach the point of no return atteindre le point de non-retour

• point of reference point m de référence

• point of sale point m de vente► the point of + -ing

• to be on the point of doing sth être sur le point de faire qch

• he had reached the point of resigning il en était arrivé au point de donner sa démission► up to a point jusqu'à un certain point

   d. ( = unit) (in score) point m ; (on thermometer) degré m

• the cost-of-living index went up two points l'indice du coût de la vie a augmenté de deux points

   e. ( = idea) point m

• on this point we are agreed sur ce point nous sommes d'accord

• the main points to remember les principaux points à retenir

• point by point point par point

• you have a point there! il y a du vrai dans ce que vous dites !

• he made the point that... il fit remarquer que...

• I take your point je vois ce que vous voulez dire

• point taken! (inf) d'accord !

► a point of + noun

• it was a point of honour with him never to refuse il se faisait un point d'honneur de ne jamais refuser

• point of interest/of no importance point m intéressant/sans importance

• on a point of principle sur une question de principe

   f. ( = important part) [of argument] objet m

• that's not the point là n'est pas la question

• that is beside the point cela n'a rien à voir

• that's just the point! justement !

• I don't see the point of the joke je n'ai pas compris la plaisanterie

• to come to the point [person] en venir au fait

• when it comes to the point, they don't value education au fond, ils n'accordent pas beaucoup d'importance à l'éducation

• we're getting off the point nous nous éloignons du sujet

• let's get back to the point revenons à nos moutons (inf)

• to keep to the point ne pas s'éloigner du sujet

   g. ( = meaning) what was the point of his visit? quel était le but de sa visite ?

• there's some point in it ça a une utilité

• the point of this story is that... la morale de l'histoire, c'est que...

• (very much) to the point (très) pertinent

• to see the point comprendre

• to make a point of doing sth ne pas manquer de faire qch

   h. ( = use) what's the point? à quoi bon ?

• what's the point of waiting? à quoi bon attendre ?

• there's no point waiting ça ne sert à rien d'attendre

• I don't see any point in doing that je ne vois aucun intérêt à faire cela

   i. ( = characteristic) caractéristique f

• good points qualités fpl

• bad points défauts mpl

• the points to look for when buying a car les choses fpl auxquelles il faut faire attention lorsqu'on achète une voiture

   j. (in car) vis f platinée

   k. (British Electricity) ( = power point) prise f (de courant) (femelle)

2. plural noun

points (British) (on railway) aiguillage m

3. transitive verb

   a. ( = aim) pointer (at sur)

• to point a gun at sb braquer un revolver sur qn

• to point sb in the direction of diriger qn vers

• when they ask questions he points them in the direction of the library quand ils posent des questions, il leur dit d'aller à la bibliothèque

• she pointed him in the right direction (inf) elle lui a montré le chemin

• he pointed his finger at me il a pointé le doigt sur moi

► to point the way

• the signs point the way to London les panneaux indiquent la direction de Londres

• the article points the way to a possible solution cet article suggère une solution possible

   b. [+ wall] jointoyer ( with de)

   c. [+ toes] pointer

4. intransitive verb

   a. [person] montrer du doigt

• it's rude to point ce n'est pas poli de montrer du doigt

• to point at sth/sb désigner qch/qn du doigt

• all the evidence points to him tous les faits l'accusent

• everything points to a brilliant career for him tout indique qu'il aura une brillante carrière

• it all points to the fact that... tout laisse à penser que...

• everything points to suicide tout laisse à penser qu'il s'agit d'un suicide

   b. [signpost] indiquer la direction ( towards de)

• the needle is pointing north l'aiguille indique le nord

• the arrow isn't pointing in the right direction la flèche n'indique pas la bonne direction

5. compounds

► point-and-click adjective [browser, interface] pointer-cliquer inv

► point-blank adjective [refusal] catégorique

• at point-blank range à bout portant adverb [fire, shoot] à bout portant ; [refuse] catégoriquement ; [demand] de but en blanc ► point-by-point adjective méthodique

► point duty noun (British)

to be on point duty régler la circulation ► point of view noun point m de vue

• from that/my point of view de ce/mon point de vue ► points failure noun panne f d'aiguillage

► points system noun système m par points

► point-to-point noun steeple-chase champêtre réservé à des cavaliers amateurs

6. Phrasal Verbs

► point out separable transitive verb

   a. ( = show) [+ person, object, place] indiquer

   b. ( = mention) faire remarquer

• to point sth out to sb faire remarquer qch à qn

• I should point out that... je dois vous signaler que...

► point up separable transitive verb mettre en évidence

* * *
[pɔɪnt] 1.
noun

1) (of knife, needle, pencil etc) pointe f

2) (location, position on scale) point m; ( less specific) endroit m

embarkation point — lieu m d'embarquement

point of entry — ( into country) point d'arrivée; ( of bullet into body) point d'impact; ( into atmosphere) point d'entrée

point of no return — point de non-retour

3) (extent, degree) point m

I've got to the point where I can't take any more — j'en suis arrivé au point où je n'en peux plus

up to a point — jusqu'à un certain point

4) ( moment) ( precise) moment m; ( stage) stade m

to be on the point of doing — être sur le point de faire

at this point he broke down — à ce moment-là il a fondu en larmes

at some point in the future — plus tard

at one point — à un moment donné

when it came to the point of deciding — quand il a fallu décider

at this point in time — dans l'état actuel des choses

5) (question, idea) point m

to take up ou return to somebody's point — revenir sur un point soulevé par quelqu'un

this proves my point — cela confirme ce que je viens de dire

to make a point — faire une remarque ( about sur)

to make the point that — faire remarquer que

you've made your point, please let me speak — vous vous êtes exprimé, laissez-moi parler

to make a point of doing something — ( as matter of pride) mettre un point d'honneur à faire quelque chose; ( do deliberately) faire quelque chose exprès

to raise a point about something — soulever la question de quelque chose

my point was that — ce que je voulais dire, c'était que

that's a good point — c'est une remarque judicieuse

I take your point — ( agreeing) je suis d'accord avec vous

I take your point, but — je vois bien où vous voulez en venir, mais

all right, point taken! — très bien, j'en prends note

good point! — très juste!

you've got a point there — vous n'avez pas tort

in point of fact — en fait

6) ( central idea) point m essentiel

to come straight to the point — aller droit au fait

to keep ou stick to the point — rester dans le sujet

to miss the point — ne pas comprendre

what she said was short and to the point — ce qu'elle a dit était bref et pertinent

that's beside the point — là n'est pas la question

to get the point — comprendre

that's not the point — il ne s'agit pas de cela

7) ( purpose) objet m

what's the point of doing...? — à quoi bon faire...?

there's no point in doing — ça ne sert à rien de faire

I don't see the point of doing — je ne vois pas l'intérêt de faire

8) (feature, characteristic) point m, côté m

her strong point — son point fort

9) Sport, Finance ( in scoring) point m

to win by 4 points — gagner à 4 points près

to win on points — ( in boxing) remporter une victoire aux points

match point — ( in tennis) balle f de match

10) ( dot) point m; ( decimal point) virgule f; ( diacritic) signe m diacritique; Mathematics point m

11) Geography ( headland) pointe f
2.
points plural noun

1) GB Railways aiguillages mpl, aiguilles fpl

2) Automobile électrodes fpl

3) ( in ballet)

to dance on point(s) — faire des pointes fpl
3.
transitive verb

1) (aim, direct)

to point something at somebody — braquer quelque chose sur quelqu'un [camera, gun]

to point one's finger at somebody — montrer quelqu'un du doigt

to point the finger at somebody — ( accuse) accuser quelqu'un

to point something towards — (of car, boat) diriger quelque chose vers

to point somebody in the right direction — lit, fig mettre quelqu'un dans la bonne direction

2) ( show)

to point the way to — lit (person, signpost) indiquer la direction de

to point the way to a fairer system — ouvrir la voie à un système plus équitable

3) (in ballet, gym)

to point one's toes — faire des pointes

4) Construction jointoyer [wall]
4.
intransitive verb

1) ( indicate) indiquer or montrer (du doigt)

to point at somebody/something — montrer quelqu'un/quelque chose du doigt

2) [signpost, arrow] indiquer

to point at somebody ou in somebody's direction — [gun, camera] être braqué sur quelqu'un

everything points in that direction — tout semble indiquer que c'est ainsi

to point to something as evidence of success — citer quelque chose comme preuve d'une réussite

•

Phrasal Verbs:

- point out

- point up

English-French dictionary > point
5 Historical Portugal

   Before Romans described western Iberia or Hispania as "Lusitania," ancient Iberians inhabited the land. Phoenician and Greek trading settlements grew up in the Tagus estuary area and nearby coasts. Beginning around 202 BCE, Romans invaded what is today southern Portugal. With Rome's defeat of Carthage, Romans proceeded to conquer and rule the western region north of the Tagus, which they named Roman "Lusitania." In the fourth century CE, as Rome's rule weakened, the area experienced yet another invasion—Germanic tribes, principally the Suevi, who eventually were Christianized. During the sixth century CE, the Suevi kingdom was superseded by yet another Germanic tribe—the Christian Visigoths.

   A major turning point in Portugal's history came in 711, as Muslim armies from North Africa, consisting of both Arab and Berber elements, invaded the Iberian Peninsula from across the Straits of Gibraltar. They entered what is now Portugal in 714, and proceeded to conquer most of the country except for the far north. For the next half a millennium, Islam and Muslim presence in Portugal left a significant mark upon the politics, government, language, and culture of the country.

   Islam, Reconquest, and Portugal Created, 714-1140

   The long frontier struggle between Muslim invaders and Christian communities in the north of the Iberian peninsula was called the Reconquista (Reconquest). It was during this struggle that the first dynasty of Portuguese kings (Burgundian) emerged and the independent monarchy of Portugal was established. Christian forces moved south from what is now the extreme north of Portugal and gradually defeated Muslim forces, besieging and capturing towns under Muslim sway. In the ninth century, as Christian forces slowly made their way southward, Christian elements were dominant only in the area between Minho province and the Douro River; this region became known as "territorium Portu-calense."

   In the 11th century, the advance of the Reconquest quickened as local Christian armies were reinforced by crusading knights from what is now France and England. Christian forces took Montemor (1034), at the Mondego River; Lamego (1058); Viseu (1058); and Coimbra (1064). In 1095, the king of Castile and Léon granted the country of "Portu-cale," what became northern Portugal, to a Burgundian count who had emigrated from France. This was the foundation of Portugal. In 1139, a descendant of this count, Afonso Henriques, proclaimed himself "King of Portugal." He was Portugal's first monarch, the "Founder," and the first of the Burgundian dynasty, which ruled until 1385.

   The emergence of Portugal in the 12th century as a separate monarchy in Iberia occurred before the Christian Reconquest of the peninsula. In the 1140s, the pope in Rome recognized Afonso Henriques as king of Portugal. In 1147, after a long, bloody siege, Muslim-occupied Lisbon fell to Afonso Henriques's army. Lisbon was the greatest prize of the 500-year war. Assisting this effort were English crusaders on their way to the Holy Land; the first bishop of Lisbon was an Englishman. When the Portuguese captured Faro and Silves in the Algarve province in 1248-50, the Reconquest of the extreme western portion of the Iberian peninsula was complete—significantly, more than two centuries before the Spanish crown completed the Reconquest of the eastern portion by capturing Granada in 1492.

   Consolidation and Independence of Burgundian Portugal, 1140-1385

   Two main themes of Portugal's early existence as a monarchy are the consolidation of control over the realm and the defeat of a Castil-ian threat from the east to its independence. At the end of this period came the birth of a new royal dynasty (Aviz), which prepared to carry the Christian Reconquest beyond continental Portugal across the straits of Gibraltar to North Africa. There was a variety of motives behind these developments. Portugal's independent existence was imperiled by threats from neighboring Iberian kingdoms to the north and east. Politics were dominated not only by efforts against the Muslims in

   Portugal (until 1250) and in nearby southern Spain (until 1492), but also by internecine warfare among the kingdoms of Castile, Léon, Aragon, and Portugal. A final comeback of Muslim forces was defeated at the battle of Salado (1340) by allied Castilian and Portuguese forces. In the emerging Kingdom of Portugal, the monarch gradually gained power over and neutralized the nobility and the Church.

   The historic and commonplace Portuguese saying "From Spain, neither a good wind nor a good marriage" was literally played out in diplomacy and war in the late 14th-century struggles for mastery in the peninsula. Larger, more populous Castile was pitted against smaller Portugal. Castile's Juan I intended to force a union between Castile and Portugal during this era of confusion and conflict. In late 1383, Portugal's King Fernando, the last king of the Burgundian dynasty, suddenly died prematurely at age 38, and the Master of Aviz, Portugal's most powerful nobleman, took up the cause of independence and resistance against Castile's invasion. The Master of Aviz, who became King João I of Portugal, was able to obtain foreign assistance. With the aid of English archers, Joao's armies defeated the Castilians in the crucial battle of Aljubarrota, on 14 August 1385, a victory that assured the independence of the Portuguese monarchy from its Castilian nemesis for several centuries.

   Aviz Dynasty and Portugal's First Overseas Empire, 1385-1580

   The results of the victory at Aljubarrota, much celebrated in Portugal's art and monuments, and the rise of the Aviz dynasty also helped to establish a new merchant class in Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal's second city. This group supported King João I's program of carrying the Reconquest to North Africa, since it was interested in expanding Portugal's foreign commerce and tapping into Muslim trade routes and resources in Africa. With the Reconquest against the Muslims completed in Portugal and the threat from Castile thwarted for the moment, the Aviz dynasty launched an era of overseas conquest, exploration, and trade. These efforts dominated Portugal's 15th and 16th centuries.

   The overseas empire and age of Discoveries began with Portugal's bold conquest in 1415 of the Moroccan city of Ceuta. One royal member of the 1415 expedition was young, 21-year-old Prince Henry, later known in history as "Prince Henry the Navigator." His part in the capture of Ceuta won Henry his knighthood and began Portugal's "Marvelous Century," during which the small kingdom was counted as a European and world power of consequence. Henry was the son of King João I and his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster, but he did not inherit the throne. Instead, he spent most of his life and his fortune, and that of the wealthy military Order of Christ, on various imperial ventures and on voyages of exploration down the African coast and into the Atlantic. While mythology has surrounded Henry's controversial role in the Discoveries, and this role has been exaggerated, there is no doubt that he played a vital part in the initiation of Portugal's first overseas empire and in encouraging exploration. He was naturally curious, had a sense of mission for Portugal, and was a strong leader. He also had wealth to expend; at least a third of the African voyages of the time were under his sponsorship. If Prince Henry himself knew little science, significant scientific advances in navigation were made in his day.

   What were Portugal's motives for this new imperial effort? The well-worn historical cliche of "God, Glory, and Gold" can only partly explain the motivation of a small kingdom with few natural resources and barely 1 million people, which was greatly outnumbered by the other powers it confronted. Among Portuguese objectives were the desire to exploit known North African trade routes and resources (gold, wheat, leather, weaponry, and other goods that were scarce in Iberia); the need to outflank the Muslim world in the Mediterranean by sailing around Africa, attacking Muslims en route; and the wish to ally with Christian kingdoms beyond Africa. This enterprise also involved a strategy of breaking the Venetian spice monopoly by trading directly with the East by means of discovering and exploiting a sea route around Africa to Asia. Besides the commercial motives, Portugal nurtured a strong crusading sense of Christian mission, and various classes in the kingdom saw an opportunity for fame and gain.

   By the time of Prince Henry's death in 1460, Portugal had gained control of the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeiras, begun to colonize the Cape Verde Islands, failed to conquer the Canary Islands from Castile, captured various cities on Morocco's coast, and explored as far as Senegal, West Africa, down the African coast. By 1488, Bar-tolomeu Dias had rounded the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and thereby discovered the way to the Indian Ocean.

   Portugal's largely coastal African empire and later its fragile Asian empire brought unexpected wealth but were purchased at a high price. Costs included wars of conquest and defense against rival powers, manning the far-flung navel and trade fleets and scattered castle-fortresses, and staffing its small but fierce armies, all of which entailed a loss of skills and population to maintain a scattered empire. Always short of capital, the monarchy became indebted to bankers. There were many defeats beginning in the 16th century at the hands of the larger imperial European monarchies (Spain, France, England, and Holland) and many attacks on Portugal and its strung-out empire. Typically, there was also the conflict that arose when a tenuously held world empire that rarely if ever paid its way demanded finance and manpower Portugal itself lacked.

   The first 80 years of the glorious imperial era, the golden age of Portugal's imperial power and world influence, was an African phase. During 1415-88, Portuguese navigators and explorers in small ships, some of them caravelas (caravels), explored the treacherous, disease-ridden coasts of Africa from Morocco to South Africa beyond the Cape of Good Hope. By the 1470s, the Portuguese had reached the Gulf of Guinea and, in the early 1480s, what is now Angola. Bartolomeu Dias's extraordinary voyage of 1487-88 to South Africa's coast and the edge of the Indian Ocean convinced Portugal that the best route to Asia's spices and Christians lay south, around the tip of southern Africa. Between 1488 and 1495, there was a hiatus caused in part by domestic conflict in Portugal, discussion of resources available for further conquests beyond Africa in Asia, and serious questions as to Portugal's capacity to reach beyond Africa. In 1495, King Manuel and his council decided to strike for Asia, whatever the consequences. In 1497-99, Vasco da Gama, under royal orders, made the epic two-year voyage that discovered the sea route to western India (Asia), outflanked Islam and Venice, and began Portugal's Asian empire. Within 50 years, Portugal had discovered and begun the exploitation of its largest colony, Brazil, and set up forts and trading posts from the Middle East (Aden and Ormuz), India (Calicut, Goa, etc.), Malacca, and Indonesia to Macau in China.

   By the 1550s, parts of its largely coastal, maritime trading post empire from Morocco to the Moluccas were under siege from various hostile forces, including Muslims, Christians, and Hindi. Although Moroccan forces expelled the Portuguese from the major coastal cities by 1550, the rival European monarchies of Castile (Spain), England, France, and later Holland began to seize portions of her undermanned, outgunned maritime empire.

   In 1580, Phillip II of Spain, whose mother was a Portuguese princess and who had a strong claim to the Portuguese throne, invaded Portugal, claimed the throne, and assumed control over the realm and, by extension, its African, Asian, and American empires. Phillip II filled the power vacuum that appeared in Portugal following the loss of most of Portugal's army and its young, headstrong King Sebastião in a disastrous war in Morocco. Sebastiao's death in battle (1578) and the lack of a natural heir to succeed him, as well as the weak leadership of the cardinal who briefly assumed control in Lisbon, led to a crisis that Spain's strong monarch exploited. As a result, Portugal lost its independence to Spain for a period of 60 years.

   Portugal under Spanish Rule, 1580-1640

   Despite the disastrous nature of Portugal's experience under Spanish rule, "The Babylonian Captivity" gave birth to modern Portuguese nationalism, its second overseas empire, and its modern alliance system with England. Although Spain allowed Portugal's weakened empire some autonomy, Spanish rule in Portugal became increasingly burdensome and unacceptable. Spain's ambitious imperial efforts in Europe and overseas had an impact on the Portuguese as Spain made greater and greater demands on its smaller neighbor for manpower and money. Portugal's culture underwent a controversial Castilianization, while its empire became hostage to Spain's fortunes. New rival powers England, France, and Holland attacked and took parts of Spain's empire and at the same time attacked Portugal's empire, as well as the mother country.

   Portugal's empire bore the consequences of being attacked by Spain's bitter enemies in what was a form of world war. Portuguese losses were heavy. By 1640, Portugal had lost most of its Moroccan cities as well as Ceylon, the Moluccas, and sections of India. With this, Portugal's Asian empire was gravely weakened. Only Goa, Damão, Diu, Bombay, Timor, and Macau remained and, in Brazil, Dutch forces occupied the northeast.

   On 1 December 1640, long commemorated as a national holiday, Portuguese rebels led by the duke of Braganza overthrew Spanish domination and took advantage of Spanish weakness following a more serious rebellion in Catalonia. Portugal regained independence from Spain, but at a price: dependence on foreign assistance to maintain its independence in the form of the renewal of the alliance with England.

   Restoration and Second Empire, 1640-1822

   Foreign affairs and empire dominated the restoration era and aftermath, and Portugal again briefly enjoyed greater European power and prestige. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was renewed and strengthened in treaties of 1642, 1654, and 1661, and Portugal's independence from Spain was underwritten by English pledges and armed assistance. In a Luso-Spanish treaty of 1668, Spain recognized Portugal's independence. Portugal's alliance with England was a marriage of convenience and necessity between two monarchies with important religious, cultural, and social differences. In return for legal, diplomatic, and trade privileges, as well as the use during war and peace of Portugal's great Lisbon harbor and colonial ports for England's navy, England pledged to protect Portugal and its scattered empire from any attack. The previously cited 17th-century alliance treaties were renewed later in the Treaty of Windsor, signed in London in 1899. On at least 10 different occasions after 1640, and during the next two centuries, England was central in helping prevent or repel foreign invasions of its ally, Portugal.

   Portugal's second empire (1640-1822) was largely Brazil-oriented. Portuguese colonization, exploitation of wealth, and emigration focused on Portuguese America, and imperial revenues came chiefly from Brazil. Between 1670 and 1740, Portugal's royalty and nobility grew wealthier on funds derived from Brazilian gold, diamonds, sugar, tobacco, and other crops, an enterprise supported by the Atlantic slave trade and the supply of African slave labor from West Africa and Angola. Visitors today can see where much of that wealth was invested: Portugal's rich legacy of monumental architecture. Meanwhile, the African slave trade took a toll in Angola and West Africa.

   In continental Portugal, absolutist monarchy dominated politics and government, and there was a struggle for position and power between the monarchy and other institutions, such as the Church and nobility. King José I's chief minister, usually known in history as the marquis of Pombal (ruled 1750-77), sharply suppressed the nobility and the

   Church (including the Inquisition, now a weak institution) and expelled the Jesuits. Pombal also made an effort to reduce economic dependence on England, Portugal's oldest ally. But his successes did not last much beyond his disputed time in office.

   Beginning in the late 18th century, the European-wide impact of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon placed Portugal in a vulnerable position. With the monarchy ineffectively led by an insane queen (Maria I) and her indecisive regent son (João VI), Portugal again became the focus of foreign ambition and aggression. With England unable to provide decisive assistance in time, France—with Spain's consent—invaded Portugal in 1807. As Napoleon's army under General Junot entered Lisbon meeting no resistance, Portugal's royal family fled on a British fleet to Brazil, where it remained in exile until 1821. In the meantime, Portugal's overseas empire was again under threat. There was a power vacuum as the monarch was absent, foreign armies were present, and new political notions of liberalism and constitutional monarchy were exciting various groups of citizens.

   Again England came to the rescue, this time in the form of the armies of the duke of Wellington. Three successive French invasions of Portugal were defeated and expelled, and Wellington succeeded in carrying the war against Napoleon across the Portuguese frontier into Spain. The presence of the English army, the new French-born liberal ideas, and the political vacuum combined to create revolutionary conditions. The French invasions and the peninsular wars, where Portuguese armed forces played a key role, marked the beginning of a new era in politics.

   Liberalism and Constitutional Monarchy, 1822-1910

   During 1807-22, foreign invasions, war, and civil strife over conflicting political ideas gravely damaged Portugal's commerce, economy, and novice industry. The next terrible blow was the loss of Brazil in 1822, the jewel in the imperial crown. Portugal's very independence seemed to be at risk. In vain, Portugal sought to resist Brazilian independence by force, but in 1825 it formally acknowledged Brazilian independence by treaty.

   Portugal's slow recovery from the destructive French invasions and the "war of independence" was complicated by civil strife over the form of constitutional monarchy that best suited Portugal. After struggles over these issues between 1820 and 1834, Portugal settled somewhat uncertainly into a moderate constitutional monarchy whose constitution (Charter of 1826) lent it strong political powers to exert a moderating influence between the executive and legislative branches of the government. It also featured a new upper middle class based on land ownership and commerce; a Catholic Church that, although still important, lived with reduced privileges and property; a largely African (third) empire to which Lisbon and Oporto devoted increasing spiritual and material resources, starting with the liberal imperial plans of 1836 and 1851, and continuing with the work of institutions like the Lisbon Society of Geography (established 1875); and a mass of rural peasants whose bonds to the land weakened after 1850 and who began to immigrate in increasing numbers to Brazil and North America.

   Chronic military intervention in national politics began in 19th-century Portugal. Such intervention, usually commencing with coups or pronunciamentos (military revolts), was a shortcut to the spoils of political office and could reflect popular discontent as well as the power of personalities. An early example of this was the 1817 golpe (coup) attempt of General Gomes Freire against British military rule in Portugal before the return of King João VI from Brazil. Except for a more stable period from 1851 to 1880, military intervention in politics, or the threat thereof, became a feature of the constitutional monarchy's political life, and it continued into the First Republic and the subsequent Estado Novo.

   Beginning with the Regeneration period (1851-80), Portugal experienced greater political stability and economic progress. Military intervention in politics virtually ceased; industrialization and construction of railroads, roads, and bridges proceeded; two political parties (Regenerators and Historicals) worked out a system of rotation in power; and leading intellectuals sparked a cultural revival in several fields. In 19th-century literature, there was a new golden age led by such figures as Alexandre Herculano (historian), Eça de Queirós (novelist), Almeida Garrett (playwright and essayist), Antero de Quental (poet), and Joaquim Oliveira Martins (historian and social scientist). In its third overseas empire, Portugal attempted to replace the slave trade and slavery with legitimate economic activities; to reform the administration; and to expand Portuguese holdings beyond coastal footholds deep into the African hinterlands in West, West Central, and East Africa. After 1841, to some extent, and especially after 1870, colonial affairs, combined with intense nationalism, pressures for economic profit in Africa, sentiment for national revival, and the drift of European affairs would make or break Lisbon governments.

   Beginning with the political crisis that arose out of the "English Ultimatum" affair of January 1890, the monarchy became discredtted and identified with the poorly functioning government, political parties splintered, and republicanism found more supporters. Portugal participated in the "Scramble for Africa," expanding its African holdings, but failed to annex territory connecting Angola and Mozambique. A growing foreign debt and state bankruptcy as of the early 1890s damaged the constitutional monarchy's reputation, despite the efforts of King Carlos in diplomacy, the renewal of the alliance in the Windsor Treaty of 1899, and the successful if bloody colonial wars in the empire (1880-97). Republicanism proclaimed that Portugal's weak economy and poor society were due to two historic institutions: the monarchy and the Catholic Church. A republic, its stalwarts claimed, would bring greater individual liberty; efficient, if more decentralized government; and a stronger colonial program while stripping the Church of its role in both society and education.

   As the monarchy lost support and republicans became more aggressive, violence increased in politics. King Carlos I and his heir Luís were murdered in Lisbon by anarchist-republicans on 1 February 1908. Following a military and civil insurrection and fighting between monarchist and republican forces, on 5 October 1910, King Manuel II fled Portugal and a republic was proclaimed.

   First Parliamentary Republic, 1910-26

   Portugal's first attempt at republican government was the most unstable, turbulent parliamentary republic in the history of 20th-century Western Europe. During a little under 16 years of the republic, there were 45 governments, a number of legislatures that did not complete normal terms, military coups, and only one president who completed his four-year term in office. Portuguese society was poorly prepared for this political experiment. Among the deadly legacies of the monarchy were a huge public debt; a largely rural, apolitical, and illiterate peasant population; conflict over the causes of the country's misfortunes; and lack of experience with a pluralist, democratic system.

   The republic had some talented leadership but lacked popular, institutional, and economic support. The 1911 republican constitution established only a limited democracy, as only a small portion of the adult male citizenry was eligible to vote. In a country where the majority was Catholic, the republic passed harshly anticlerical laws, and its institutions and supporters persecuted both the Church and its adherents. During its brief disjointed life, the First Republic drafted important reform plans in economic, social, and educational affairs; actively promoted development in the empire; and pursued a liberal, generous foreign policy. Following British requests for Portugal's assistance in World War I, Portugal entered the war on the Allied side in March 1916 and sent armies to Flanders and Portuguese Africa. Portugal's intervention in that conflict, however, was too costly in many respects, and the ultimate failure of the republic in part may be ascribed to Portugal's World War I activities.

   Unfortunately for the republic, its time coincided with new threats to Portugal's African possessions: World War I, social and political demands from various classes that could not be reconciled, excessive military intervention in politics, and, in particular, the worst economic and financial crisis Portugal had experienced since the 16th and 17th centuries. After the original Portuguese Republican Party (PRP, also known as the "Democrats") splintered into three warring groups in 1912, no true multiparty system emerged. The Democrats, except for only one or two elections, held an iron monopoly of electoral power, and political corruption became a major issue. As extreme right-wing dictatorships elsewhere in Europe began to take power in Italy (1922), neighboring Spain (1923), and Greece (1925), what scant popular support remained for the republic collapsed. Backed by a right-wing coalition of landowners from Alentejo, clergy, Coimbra University faculty and students, Catholic organizations, and big business, career military officers led by General Gomes da Costa executed a coup on 28 May 1926, turned out the last republican government, and established a military government.

   The Estado Novo (New State), 1926-74

   During the military phase (1926-32) of the Estado Novo, professional military officers, largely from the army, governed and administered Portugal and held key cabinet posts, but soon discovered that the military possessed no magic formula that could readily solve the problems inherited from the First Republic. Especially during the years 1926-31, the military dictatorship, even with its political repression of republican activities and institutions (military censorship of the press, political police action, and closure of the republic's rowdy parliament), was characterized by similar weaknesses: personalism and factionalism; military coups and political instability, including civil strife and loss of life; state debt and bankruptcy; and a weak economy. "Barracks parliamentarism" was not an acceptable alternative even to the "Nightmare Republic."

   Led by General Óscar Carmona, who had replaced and sent into exile General Gomes da Costa, the military dictatorship turned to a civilian expert in finance and economics to break the budget impasse and bring coherence to the disorganized system. Appointed minister of finance on 27 April 1928, the Coimbra University Law School professor of economics Antônio de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1970) first reformed finance, helped balance the budget, and then turned to other concerns as he garnered extraordinary governing powers. In 1930, he was appointed interim head of another key ministry (Colonies) and within a few years had become, in effect, a civilian dictator who, with the military hierarchy's support, provided the government with coherence, a program, and a set of policies.

   For nearly 40 years after he was appointed the first civilian prime minister in 1932, Salazar's personality dominated the government. Unlike extreme right-wing dictators elsewhere in Europe, Salazar was directly appointed by the army but was never endorsed by a popular political party, street militia, or voter base. The scholarly, reclusive former Coimbra University professor built up what became known after 1932 as the Estado Novo ("New State"), which at the time of its overthrow by another military coup in 1974, was the longest surviving authoritarian regime in Western Europe. The system of Salazar and the largely academic and technocratic ruling group he gathered in his cabinets was based on the central bureaucracy of the state, which was supported by the president of the republic—always a senior career military officer, General Óscar Carmona (1928-51), General Craveiro Lopes (1951-58), and Admiral Américo Tómaz (1958-74)—and the complicity of various institutions. These included a rubber-stamp legislature called the National Assembly (1935-74) and a political police known under various names: PVDE (1932-45), PIDE (1945-69),

   and DGS (1969-74). Other defenders of the Estado Novo security were paramilitary organizations such as the National Republican Guard (GNR); the Portuguese Legion (PL); and the Portuguese Youth [Movement]. In addition to censorship of the media, theater, and books, there was political repression and a deliberate policy of depoliticization. All political parties except for the approved movement of regime loyalists, the União Nacional or (National Union), were banned.

   The most vigorous and more popular period of the New State was 1932-44, when the basic structures were established. Never monolithic or entirely the work of one person (Salazar), the New State was constructed with the assistance of several dozen top associates who were mainly academics from law schools, some technocrats with specialized skills, and a handful of trusted career military officers. The 1933 Constitution declared Portugal to be a "unitary, corporative Republic," and pressures to restore the monarchy were resisted. Although some of the regime's followers were fascists and pseudofascists, many more were conservative Catholics, integralists, nationalists, and monarchists of different varieties, and even some reactionary republicans. If the New State was authoritarian, it was not totalitarian and, unlike fascism in Benito Mussolini's Italy or Adolf Hitler's Germany, it usually employed the minimum of violence necessary to defeat what remained a largely fractious, incoherent opposition.

   With the tumultuous Second Republic and the subsequent civil war in nearby Spain, the regime felt threatened and reinforced its defenses. During what Salazar rightly perceived as a time of foreign policy crisis for Portugal (1936-45), he assumed control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From there, he pursued four basic foreign policy objectives: supporting the Nationalist rebels of General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and concluding defense treaties with a triumphant Franco; ensuring that General Franco in an exhausted Spain did not enter World War II on the Axis side; maintaining Portuguese neutrality in World War II with a post-1942 tilt toward the Allies, including granting Britain and the United States use of bases in the Azores Islands; and preserving and protecting Portugal's Atlantic Islands and its extensive, if poor, overseas empire in Africa and Asia.

   During the middle years of the New State (1944-58), many key Salazar associates in government either died or resigned, and there was greater social unrest in the form of unprecedented strikes and clandestine Communist activities, intensified opposition, and new threatening international pressures on Portugal's overseas empire. During the earlier phase of the Cold War (1947-60), Portugal became a steadfast, if weak, member of the US-dominated North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance and, in 1955, with American support, Portugal joined the United Nations (UN). Colonial affairs remained a central concern of the regime. As of 1939, Portugal was the third largest colonial power in the world and possessed territories in tropical Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe Islands) and the remnants of its 16th-century empire in Asia (Goa, Damão, Diu, East Timor, and Macau). Beginning in the early 1950s, following the independence of India in 1947, Portugal resisted Indian pressures to decolonize Portuguese India and used police forces to discourage internal opposition in its Asian and African colonies.

   The later years of the New State (1958-68) witnessed the aging of the increasingly isolated but feared Salazar and new threats both at home and overseas. Although the regime easily overcame the brief oppositionist threat from rival presidential candidate General Humberto Delgado in the spring of 1958, new developments in the African and Asian empires imperiled the authoritarian system. In February 1961, oppositionists hijacked the Portuguese ocean liner Santa Maria and, in following weeks, African insurgents in northern Angola, although they failed to expel the Portuguese, gained worldwide media attention, discredited the New State, and began the 13-year colonial war. After thwarting a dissident military coup against his continued leadership, Salazar and his ruling group mobilized military repression in Angola and attempted to develop the African colonies at a faster pace in order to ensure Portuguese control. Meanwhile, the other European colonial powers (Britain, France, Belgium, and Spain) rapidly granted political independence to their African territories.

   At the time of Salazar's removal from power in September 1968, following a stroke, Portugal's efforts to maintain control over its colonies appeared to be successful. President Americo Tomás appointed Dr. Marcello Caetano as Salazar's successor as prime minister. While maintaining the New State's basic structures, and continuing the regime's essential colonial policy, Caetano attempted wider reforms in colonial administration and some devolution of power from Lisbon, as well as more freedom of expression in Lisbon. Still, a great deal of the budget was devoted to supporting the wars against the insurgencies in Africa. Meanwhile in Asia, Portuguese India had fallen when the Indian army invaded in December 1961. The loss of Goa was a psychological blow to the leadership of the New State, and of the Asian empire only East Timor and Macau remained.

   The Caetano years (1968-74) were but a hiatus between the waning Salazar era and a new regime. There was greater political freedom and rapid economic growth (5-6 percent annually to late 1973), but Caetano's government was unable to reform the old system thoroughly and refused to consider new methods either at home or in the empire. In the end, regime change came from junior officers of the professional military who organized the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) against the Caetano government. It was this group of several hundred officers, mainly in the army and navy, which engineered a largely bloodless coup in Lisbon on 25 April 1974. Their unexpected action brought down the 48-year-old New State and made possible the eventual establishment and consolidation of democratic governance in Portugal, as well as a reorientation of the country away from the Atlantic toward Europe.

   Revolution of Carnations, 1974-76

   Following successful military operations of the Armed Forces Movement against the Caetano government, Portugal experienced what became known as the "Revolution of Carnations." It so happened that during the rainy week of the military golpe, Lisbon flower shops were featuring carnations, and the revolutionaries and their supporters adopted the red carnation as the common symbol of the event, as well as of the new freedom from dictatorship. The MFA, whose leaders at first were mostly little-known majors and captains, proclaimed a three-fold program of change for the new Portugal: democracy; decolonization of the overseas empire, after ending the colonial wars; and developing a backward economy in the spirit of opportunity and equality. During the first 24 months after the coup, there was civil strife, some anarchy, and a power struggle. With the passing of the Estado Novo, public euphoria burst forth as the new provisional military government proclaimed the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly, and abolished censorship, the political police, the Portuguese Legion, Portuguese Youth, and other New State organizations, including the National Union. Scores of political parties were born and joined the senior political party, the Portuguese Community Party (PCP), and the Socialist Party (PS), founded shortly before the coup.

   Portugal's Revolution of Carnations went through several phases. There was an attempt to take control by radical leftists, including the PCP and its allies. This was thwarted by moderate officers in the army, as well as by the efforts of two political parties: the PS and the Social Democrats (PPD, later PSD). The first phase was from April to September 1974. Provisional president General Antonio Spínola, whose 1974 book Portugal and the Future had helped prepare public opinion for the coup, met irresistible leftist pressures. After Spinola's efforts to avoid rapid decolonization of the African empire failed, he resigned in September 1974. During the second phase, from September 1974 to March 1975, radical military officers gained control, but a coup attempt by General Spínola and his supporters in Lisbon in March 1975 failed and Spínola fled to Spain.

   In the third phase of the Revolution, March-November 1975, a strong leftist reaction followed. Farm workers occupied and "nationalized" 1.1 million hectares of farmland in the Alentejo province, and radical military officers in the provisional government ordered the nationalization of Portuguese banks (foreign banks were exempted), utilities, and major industries, or about 60 percent of the economic system. There were power struggles among various political parties — a total of 50 emerged—and in the streets there was civil strife among labor, military, and law enforcement groups. A constituent assembly, elected on 25 April 1975, in Portugal's first free elections since 1926, drafted a democratic constitution. The Council of the Revolution (CR), briefly a revolutionary military watchdog committee, was entrenched as part of the government under the constitution, until a later revision. During the chaotic year of 1975, about 30 persons were killed in political frays while unstable provisional governments came and went. On 25 November 1975, moderate military forces led by Colonel Ramalho Eanes, who later was twice elected president of the republic (1976 and 1981), defeated radical, leftist military groups' revolutionary conspiracies.

   In the meantime, Portugal's scattered overseas empire experienced a precipitous and unprepared decolonization. One by one, the former colonies were granted and accepted independence—Guinea-Bissau (September 1974), Cape Verde Islands (July 1975), and Mozambique (July 1975). Portugal offered to turn over Macau to the People's Republic of China, but the offer was refused then and later negotiations led to the establishment of a formal decolonization or hand-over date of 1999. But in two former colonies, the process of decolonization had tragic results.

   In Angola, decolonization negotiations were greatly complicated by the fact that there were three rival nationalist movements in a struggle for power. The January 1975 Alvor Agreement signed by Portugal and these three parties was not effectively implemented. A bloody civil war broke out in Angola in the spring of 1975 and, when Portuguese armed forces withdrew and declared that Angola was independent on 11 November 1975, the bloodshed only increased. Meanwhile, most of the white Portuguese settlers from Angola and Mozambique fled during the course of 1975. Together with African refugees, more than 600,000 of these retornados ("returned ones") went by ship and air to Portugal and thousands more to Namibia, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.

   The second major decolonization disaster was in Portugal's colony of East Timor in the Indonesian archipelago. Portugal's capacity to supervise and control a peaceful transition to independence in this isolated, neglected colony was limited by the strength of giant Indonesia, distance from Lisbon, and Portugal's revolutionary disorder and inability to defend Timor. In early December 1975, before Portugal granted formal independence and as one party, FRETILIN, unilaterally declared East Timor's independence, Indonesia's armed forces invaded, conquered, and annexed East Timor. Indonesian occupation encountered East Timorese resistance, and a heavy loss of life followed. The East Timor question remained a contentious international issue in the UN, as well as in Lisbon and Jakarta, for more than 20 years following Indonesia's invasion and annexation of the former colony of Portugal. Major changes occurred, beginning in 1998, after Indonesia underwent a political revolution and allowed a referendum in East Timor to decide that territory's political future in August 1999. Most East Timorese chose independence, but Indonesian forces resisted that verdict until

   UN intervention in September 1999. Following UN rule for several years, East Timor attained full independence on 20 May 2002.

   Consolidation of Democracy, 1976-2000

   After several free elections and record voter turnouts between 25 April 1975 and June 1976, civil war was averted and Portugal's second democratic republic began to stabilize. The MFA was dissolved, the military were returned to the barracks, and increasingly elected civilians took over the government of the country. The 1976 Constitution was revised several times beginning in 1982 and 1989, in order to reempha-size the principle of free enterprise in the economy while much of the large, nationalized sector was privatized. In June 1976, General Ram-alho Eanes was elected the first constitutional president of the republic (five-year term), and he appointed socialist leader Dr. Mário Soares as prime minister of the first constitutional government.

   From 1976 to 1985, Portugal's new system featured a weak economy and finances, labor unrest, and administrative and political instability. The difficult consolidation of democratic governance was eased in part by the strong currency and gold reserves inherited from the Estado Novo, but Lisbon seemed unable to cope with high unemployment, new debt, the complex impact of the refugees from Africa, world recession, and the agitation of political parties. Four major parties emerged from the maelstrom of 1974-75, except for the Communist Party, all newly founded. They were, from left to right, the Communists (PCP); the Socialists (PS), who managed to dominate governments and the legislature but not win a majority in the Assembly of the Republic; the Social Democrats (PSD); and the Christian Democrats (CDS). During this period, the annual growth rate was low (l-2 percent), and the nationalized sector of the economy stagnated.

   Enhanced economic growth, greater political stability, and more effective central government as of 1985, and especially 1987, were due to several developments. In 1977, Portugal applied for membership in the European Economic Community (EEC), now the European Union (EU) since 1993. In January 1986, with Spain, Portugal was granted membership, and economic and financial progress in the intervening years has been significantly influenced by the comparatively large investment, loans, technology, advice, and other assistance from the EEC. Low unemployment, high annual growth rates (5 percent), and moderate inflation have also been induced by the new political and administrative stability in Lisbon. Led by Prime Minister Cavaco Silva, an economist who was trained abroad, the PSD's strong organization, management, and electoral support since 1985 have assisted in encouraging economic recovery and development. In 1985, the PSD turned the PS out of office and won the general election, although they did not have an absolute majority of assembly seats. In 1986, Mário Soares was elected president of the republic, the first civilian to hold that office since the First Republic. In the elections of 1987 and 1991, however, the PSD was returned to power with clear majorities of over 50 percent of the vote.

   Although the PSD received 50.4 percent of the vote in the 1991 parliamentary elections and held a 42-seat majority in the Assembly of the Republic, the party began to lose public support following media revelations regarding corruption and complaints about Prime Minister Cavaco Silva's perceived arrogant leadership style. President Mário Soares voiced criticism of the PSD's seemingly untouchable majority and described a "tyranny of the majority." Economic growth slowed down. In the parliamentary elections of 1995 and the presidential election of 1996, the PSD's dominance ended for the time being. Prime Minister Antônio Guterres came to office when the PS won the October 1995 elections, and in the subsequent presidential contest, in January 1996, socialist Jorge Sampaio, the former mayor of Lisbon, was elected president of the republic, thus defeating Cavaco Silva's bid. Young and popular, Guterres moved the PS toward the center of the political spectrum. Under Guterres, the PS won the October 1999 parliamentary elections. The PS defeated the PSD but did not manage to win a clear, working majority of seats, and this made the PS dependent upon alliances with smaller parties, including the PCP.

   In the local elections in December 2001, the PSD's criticism of PS's heavy public spending allowed the PSD to take control of the key cities of Lisbon, Oporto, and Coimbra. Guterres resigned, and parliamentary elections were brought forward from 2004 to March 2002. The PSD won a narrow victory with 40 percent of the votes, and Jose Durão Barroso became prime minister. Having failed to win a majority of the seats in parliament forced the PSD to govern in coalition with the right-wing Popular Party (PP) led by Paulo Portas. Durão Barroso set about reducing government spending by cutting the budgets of local authorities, freezing civil service hiring, and reviving the economy by accelerating privatization of state-owned enterprises. These measures provoked a 24-hour strike by public-sector workers. Durão Barroso reacted with vows to press ahead with budget-cutting measures and imposed a wage freeze on all employees earning more than €1,000, which affected more than one-half of Portugal's work force.

   In June 2004, Durão Barroso was invited by Romano Prodi to succeed him as president of the European Commission. Durão Barroso accepted and resigned the prime ministership in July. Pedro Santana Lopes, the leader of the PSD, became prime minister. Already unpopular at the time of Durão Barroso's resignation, the PSD-led government became increasingly unpopular under Santana Lopes. A month-long delay in the start of the school year and confusion over his plan to cut taxes and raise public-sector salaries, eroded confidence even more. By November, Santana Lopes's government was so unpopular that President Jorge Sampaio was obliged to dissolve parliament and hold new elections, two years ahead of schedule.

   Parliamentary elections were held on 20 February 2005. The PS, which had promised the electorate disciplined and transparent governance, educational reform, the alleviation of poverty, and a boost in employment, won 45 percent of the vote and the majority of the seats in parliament. The leader of the PS, José Sôcrates became prime minister on 12 March 2005. In the regularly scheduled presidential elections held on 6 January 2006, the former leader of the PSD and prime minister, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, won a narrow victory and became president on 9 March 2006. With a mass protest, public teachers' strike, and street demonstrations in March 2008, Portugal's media, educational, and social systems experienced more severe pressures. With the spreading global recession beginning in September 2008, Portugal's economic and financial systems became more troubled.

    Contemporary Portugal

   Owing to its geographic location on the southwestern most edge of continental Europe, Portugal has been historically in but not of Europe. Almost from the beginning of its existence in the 12th century as an independent monarchy, Portugal turned its back on Europe and oriented itself toward the Atlantic Ocean. After carving out a Christian kingdom on the western portion of the Iberian peninsula, Portuguese kings gradually built and maintained a vast seaborne global empire that became central to the way Portugal understood its individuality as a nation-state. While the creation of this empire allows Portugal to claim an unusual number of "firsts" or distinctions in world and Western history, it also retarded Portugal's economic, social, and political development. It can be reasonably argued that the Revolution of 25 April 1974 was the most decisive event in Portugal's long history because it finally ended Portugal's oceanic mission and view of itself as an imperial power. After the 1974 Revolution, Portugal turned away from its global mission and vigorously reoriented itself toward Europe. Contemporary Portugal is now both in and of Europe.

   The turn toward Europe began immediately after 25 April 1974. Portugal granted independence to its African colonies in 1975. It was admitted to the European Council and took the first steps toward accession to the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1976. On 28 March 1977, the Portuguese government officially applied for EEC membership. Because of Portugal's economic and social backwardness, which would require vast sums of EEC money to overcome, negotiations for membership were long and difficult. Finally, a treaty of accession was signed on 12 June 1985. Portugal officially joined the EEC (the European Union [EU] since 1993) on 1 January 1986. Since becoming a full-fledged member of the EU, Portugal has been steadily overcoming the economic and social underdevelopment caused by its imperial past and is becoming more like the rest of Europe.

   Membership in the EU has speeded up the structural transformation of Portugal's economy, which actually began during the Estado Novo. Investments made by the Estado Novo in Portugal's economy began to shift employment out of the agricultural sector, which, in 1950, accounted for 50 percent of Portugal's economically active population. Today, only 10 percent of the economically active population is employed in the agricultural sector (the highest among EU member states); 30 percent in the industrial sector (also the highest among EU member states); and 60 percent in the service sector (the lowest among EU member states). The economically active population numbers about 5,000,000 employed, 56 percent of whom are women. Women workers are the majority of the workforce in the agricultural and service sectors (the highest among the EU member states). The expansion of the service sector has been primarily in health care and education. Portugal has had the lowest unemployment rates among EU member states, with the overall rate never being more than 10 percent of the active population. Since joining the EU, the number of employers increased from 2.6 percent to 5.8 percent of the active population; self-employed from 16 to 19 percent; and employees from 65 to 70 percent. Twenty-six percent of the employers are women. Unemployment tends to hit younger workers in industry and transportation, women employed in domestic service, workers on short-term contracts, and poorly educated workers. Salaried workers earn only 63 percent of the EU average, and hourly workers only one-third to one-half of that earned by their EU counterparts. Despite having had the second highest growth of gross national product (GNP) per inhabitant (after Ireland) among EU member states, the above data suggest that while much has been accomplished in terms of modernizing the Portuguese economy, much remains to be done to bring Portugal's economy up to the level of the "average" EU member state.

   Membership in the EU has also speeded up changes in Portuguese society. Over the last 30 years, coastalization and urbanization have intensified. Fully 50 percent of Portuguese live in the coastal urban conurbations of Lisbon, Oporto, Braga, Aveiro, Coimbra, Viseu, Évora, and Faro. The Portuguese population is one of the oldest among EU member states (17.3 percent are 65 years of age or older) thanks to a considerable increase in life expectancy at birth (77.87 years for the total population, 74.6 years for men, 81.36 years for women) and one of the lowest birthrates (10.59 births/1,000) in Europe. Family size averages 2.8 persons per household, with the strict nuclear family (one or two generations) in which both parents work being typical. Common law marriages, cohabitating couples, and single-parent households are more and more common. The divorce rate has also increased. "Youth Culture" has developed. The young have their own meeting places, leisure-time activities, and nightlife (bars, clubs, and discos).

   All Portuguese citizens, whether they have contributed or not, have a right to an old-age pension, invalidity benefits, widowed persons' pension, as well as payments for disabilities, children, unemployment, and large families. There is a national minimum wage (€385 per month), which is low by EU standards. The rapid aging of Portugal's population has changed the ratio of contributors to pensioners to 1.7, the lowest in the EU. This has created deficits in Portugal's social security fund.

   The adult literacy rate is about 92 percent. Illiteracy is still found among the elderly. Although universal compulsory education up to grade 9 was achieved in 1980, only 21.2 percent of the population aged 25-64 had undergone secondary education, compared to an EU average of 65.7 percent. Portugal's higher education system currently consists of 14 state universities and 14 private universities, 15 state polytechnic institutions, one Catholic university, and one military academy. All in all, Portugal spends a greater percentage of its state budget on education than most EU member states. Despite this high level of expenditure, the troubled Portuguese education system does not perform well. Early leaving and repetition rates are among the highest among EU member states.

   After the Revolution of 25 April 1974, Portugal created a National Health Service, which today consists of 221 hospitals and 512 medical centers employing 33,751 doctors and 41,799 nurses. Like its education system, Portugal's medical system is inefficient. There are long waiting lists for appointments with specialists and for surgical procedures.

   Structural changes in Portugal's economy and society mean that social life in Portugal is not too different from that in other EU member states. A mass consumption society has been created. Televisions, telephones, refrigerators, cars, music equipment, mobile phones, and personal computers are commonplace. Sixty percent of Portuguese households possess at least one automobile, and 65 percent of Portuguese own their own home. Portuguese citizens are more aware of their legal rights than ever before. This has resulted in a trebling of the number of legal proceeding since 1960 and an eight-fold increase in the number of lawyers. In general, Portuguese society has become more permissive and secular; the Catholic Church and the armed forces are much less influential than in the past. Portugal's population is also much more culturally, religiously, and ethnically diverse, a consequence of the coming to Portugal of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mainly from former African colonies.

   Portuguese are becoming more cosmopolitan and sophisticated through the impact of world media, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. A prime case in point came in the summer and early fall of 1999, with the extraordinary events in East Timor and the massive Portuguese popular responses. An internationally monitored referendum in East Timor, Portugal's former colony in the Indonesian archipelago and under Indonesian occupation from late 1975 to summer 1999, resulted in a vote of 78.5 percent for rejecting integration with Indonesia and for independence. When Indonesian prointegration gangs, aided by the Indonesian military, responded to the referendum with widespread brutality and threatened to reverse the verdict of the referendum, there was a spontaneous popular outpouring of protest in the cities and towns of Portugal. An avalanche of Portuguese e-mail fell on leaders and groups in the UN and in certain countries around the world as Portugal's diplomats, perhaps to compensate for the weak initial response to Indonesian armed aggression in 1975, called for the protection of East Timor as an independent state and for UN intervention to thwart Indonesian action. Using global communications networks, the Portuguese were able to mobilize UN and world public opinion against Indonesian actions and aided the eventual independence of East Timor on 20 May 2002.

   From the Revolution of 25 April 1974 until the 1990s, Portugal had a large number of political parties, one of the largest Communist parties in western Europe, frequent elections, and endemic cabinet instability. Since the 1990s, the number of political parties has been dramatically reduced and cabinet stability increased. Gradually, the Portuguese electorate has concentrated around two larger parties, the right-of-center Social Democrats (PSD) and the left-of-center Socialist (PS). In the 1980s, these two parties together garnered 65 percent of the vote and 70 percent of the seats in parliament. In 2005, these percentages had risen to 74 percent and 85 percent, respectively. In effect, Portugal is currently a two-party dominant system in which the two largest parties — PS and PSD—alternate in and out of power, not unlike the rotation of the two main political parties (the Regenerators and the Historicals) during the last decades (1850s to 1880s) of the liberal constitutional monarchy. As Portugal's democracy has consolidated, turnout rates for the eligible electorate have declined. In the 1970s, turnout was 85 percent. In Portugal's most recent parliamentary election (2005), turnout had fallen to 65 percent of the eligible electorate.

   Portugal has benefited greatly from membership in the EU, and whatever doubts remain about the price paid for membership, no Portuguese government in the near future can afford to sever this connection. The vast majority of Portuguese citizens see membership in the EU as a "good thing" and strongly believe that Portugal has benefited from membership. Only the Communist Party opposed membership because it reduces national sovereignty, serves the interests of capitalists not workers, and suffers from a democratic deficit. Despite the high level of support for the EU, Portuguese voters are increasingly not voting in elections for the European Parliament, however. Turnout for European Parliament elections fell from 40 percent of the eligible electorate in the 1999 elections to 38 percent in the 2004 elections.

   In sum, Portugal's turn toward Europe has done much to overcome its backwardness. However, despite the economic, social, and political progress made since 1986, Portugal has a long way to go before it can claim to be on a par with the level found even in Spain, much less the rest of western Europe. As Portugal struggles to move from underde-velopment, especially in the rural areas away from the coast, it must keep in mind the perils of too rapid modern development, which could damage two of its most precious assets: its scenery and environment. The growth and future prosperity of the economy will depend on the degree to which the government and the private sector will remain stewards of clean air, soil, water, and other finite resources on which the tourism industry depends and on which Portugal's world image as a unique place to visit rests. Currently, Portugal is investing heavily in renewable energy from solar, wind, and wave power in order to account for about 50 percent of its electricity needs by 2010. Portugal opened the world's largest solar power plant and the world's first commercial wave power farm in 2006.

   An American documentary film on Portugal produced in the 1970s described this little country as having "a Past in Search of a Future." In the years after the Revolution of 25 April 1974, it could be said that Portugal is now living in "a Present in Search of a Future." Increasingly, that future lies in Europe as an active and productive member of the EU.

Historical dictionary of Portugal > Historical Portugal
6 schwach

I Adj.

1. allg. weak; Stimme: weak, faint; Hoffnung, Lächeln: faint; Motor: low-powered; Batterie: low; Puls: weak, faint; Ton, Geruch: faint; Licht: dim; schwache Ähnlichkeit slight resemblance; schwaches Anzeichen faint sign; schwacher Beifall half-hearted applause; schwache Beteiligung low ( oder poor) turnout; schwache Erinnerung faint ( oder vague, dim) recollection; schwacher Esser poor eater; das schwache Geschlecht the weaker sex; schwaches Lob faint praise; schwache Stelle weak spot; eine schwache Stunde a moment of weakness; schwacher Trost small consolation; schwacher Versuch feeble attempt; schwacher Widerstand weak resistance; einen schwachen Willen haben be weak-willed; schwacher Wind slight ( oder light) breeze

2. (schlecht) Mannschaft etc., Schüler: weak; umg. (enttäuschend) hopeless; Gesundheit, Gedächtnis, Gehör: poor; schwache Leistung poor ( oder weak) performance; schwache Vorstellung THEAT. poor performance; umg., fig. (schlechte Leistung) poor show; ein schwaches Bild bieten put up ( oder on) a poor show; schwache Seite Schwäche 2; eines der schwächeren Stücke Brechts one of Brecht’s weaker plays; in Erdkunde ist sie schwach geography is her weak subject, she’s not very good at geography; ein Stützkurs für die Schwächeren a support program(me) for weaker pupils; sozial schwach socially disadvantaged; die sozial Schwachen the socially disadvantaged

3. (nachgiebig) soft; schwach werden weaken; fig. (nachgeben) auch relent; (erliegen) succumb; er wurde schwach fig. auch his resistance broke down; bei dem Anblick wurde ich schwach umg. I melted at the sight; sich schwach zeigen show one’s weakness; mach mich nicht schwach! umg. don’t say things like that!; nur nicht schwach werden! umg. don’t give in!; mir wird ganz schwach, wenn ich daran denke umg. I go weak at the knees just at the thought (of it)

4. schwächer werden weaken (further), grow weaker; Nachfrage: fall off, decrease; Sehkraft: deteriorate; Ton, Licht: fade; schulisch, künstlerisch: abflauen, nachlassen

5. schwach auf der Brust sein umg. be out of pocket

II Adv.:

1. schwach aktiv PHYS., Substanz: low-level; schwach radioaktiv PHYS.... emitting low-level radioactivity, low-level radioactive...; schwach besetzt SPORT, Team: weak; Turnier: with a poor entry; Stadion etc.: half empty; schwach besiedelt oder bevölkert Region: sparsely populated; schwach betont LING., Silbe: weakly stressed; schwach betont sein auch have a weak stress; schwach begabt not at all gifted; Schüler: low-ability; schwach besucht sein be poorly attended; schwach motorisiert low-powered; sich nur schwach wehren offer only weak resistance; sein Herz schlug nur noch schwach he only had a faint heartbeat; schwach dekliniertes Substantiv / Adjektiv weak noun / adjective

2. (schlecht) schwach spielen play badly; schwach entwickelt poorly developed, underdeveloped

* * *

weak; frail; faint; slender; feeble; delicate; slight; feckless; flimsy; infirm; languid; lightweight; sinewed; lame; effete

* * *
schwạch [ʃvax]
1. adj comp - er
['ʃvɛçɐ] superl -ste(r, s) ['ʃvɛçstə] weak (AUCH GRAM); Mensch, Greis, Begründung, Versuch, Aufführung, Alibi, Widerstand auch feeble; Konstitution auch frail; Gesundheit, Beteiligung, Gedächtnis poor; Ton, Anzeichen, Hoffnung, Bewegung faint, slight; Gehör poor, dull; Stimme weak, faint; Licht poor, dim; Wind light; (COMM) Nachfrage, Geschäft slack, poor
schwache Augen — weak or poor (eye)sight

or eine schwache Leistung (inf) — that's a poor show (inf)

ein schwaches Lob — faint praise

jds schwache Seite/Stelle — sb's weak point/spot

ein schwacher Trost — cold or small comfort

in einem schwachen Augenblick, in einer schwachen Stunde — in a moment of weakness, in a weak moment

schwach sein — to be weak in sth

auf schwachen Beinen or Füßen stehen (fig) — to be on shaky ground; (Theorie) to be shaky

alles, was in meinen schwachen Kräften steht — everything within my power

jdn an seiner schwachen or schwächsten Stelle treffen — to strike at or hit sb's weak spot

mir wird schwach (lit) — I feel faint; (fig inf) it makes me sick (inf)

nur nicht schwach werden! — don't weaken!

schwächer werden — to grow weaker, to weaken; (Augen) to fail, to grow worse; (Stimme) to grow fainter; (Licht) to (grow) dim; (Ton) to fade; (Nachfrage) to fall off, to slacken

die Schwachen — the weak

der Schwächere — the weaker (person); (gegenüber Gegner) the underdog

2. adv comp -er,
superl am -sten
1) (= leicht) schlagen weakly; vibrieren, radioaktiv slightly; spüren, riechen, hören barely

2) (= spärlich) besucht, bestückt poorly

schwach besiedelt or bevölkert — sparsely populated

das Stadion war nur schwach besetzt — there were only a few people in the stadium

3) (= geringfügig) klatschen weakly; sich interessieren slightly; sich beteiligen very little

sich immer schwächer beteiligen — to participate less and less

schwach aktiv (Atommüll etc) — low-level

schwach radioaktiv — with low-level radioactivity

schwach betont — weakly stressed

schwach bewegt (Meer) — gently rolling

schon bei schwach bewegtem Meer werde ich seekrank — as soon as there's the slightest swell I get seasick

4) (= mild) salzen, süßen slightly; würzen lightly; pfeffern mildly

* * *

1) (not strong; weak or feeble: The fire was very low.) low

2) (lacking in strength, brightness, courage etc: The sound grew faint; a faint light.) faint

3) (in a faint manner: A light shone faintly.) faintly

4) (slightly; rather: She looked faintly surprised.) faintly

5) feebly

6) (weak: The old lady has been rather feeble since her illness; a feeble excuse.) feeble

7) (not very well made; likely to break: a flimsy boat.) flimsy

8) (lacking in physical strength: Her illness has made her very weak.) weak

9) (not strong in character: I'm very weak when it comes to giving up cigarettes.) weak

10) ((of an explanation etc) not convincing.) weak

11) ((of a joke) not particularly funny.) weak

12) (slenderly: slightly built.) slightly

13) ((of a person) slim and delicate-looking: It seemed too heavy a load for such a slight woman.) slight

* * *

schwach

<schwächer, schwächste>

[ʃvax]

I. adj

1. (nicht kräftig) weak; Stimme feeble, faint

▪ für etw akk zu \schwach sein to not be strong enough for sth

krank und \schwach weak and ill

▪ der Schwächere/Schwächste the weaker/weakest person

\schwacher Widerstand weak [or feeble] resistance

2. (wenig selbstbewusst) Charakter weak

einen \schwachen Willen haben to be weak-willed

3. (wenig leistend) weak

in Rechtschreibung ist er ziemlich \schwach his spelling is rather poor

ein \schwacher Mitarbeiter/Sportler a poor worker/sportsman

ein \schwacher Schüler a poor [or weak] pupil

4. MED (unzureichend) weak, poor

ein \schwaches Gehör/Sehvermögen poor [or weak] hearing/eyesight

im Alter wird das Gehör schwächer one's hearing becomes poorer in old age

\schwache Gesundheit poor health

eine \schwache Konstitution haben to have a frail constitution

5. (dürftig) weak, poor

\schwaches Ergebnis poor result

eine \schwache Leistung a poor performance [or fam show

6. (nicht stichhaltig) Argument weak; Theorie shaky

es gibt noch einige \schwache Stellen in unserem Plan our plan has still got some weaknesses

7. (gering) weak; Licht dim

\schwache Ähnlichkeit remote resemblance

ein \schwaches Anzeichen a faint [or slight] indication

ein \schwacher Bartwuchs a sparse [growth of] beard

eine \schwache Beteiligung [o Teilnahme] poor participation

ein \schwaches Interesse [very] little interest

\schwache Nachfrage poor demand

eine \schwache Resonanz a lukewarm response

eine \schwache Vorstellung von etw dat haben to have a faint idea of sth

8. (leicht) weak

\schwache Atmung faint breathing

eine \schwache Bewegung a slight [or faint] movement

\schwacher Druck light pressure

ein \schwacher Herzschlag a faint heartbeat

ein \schwacher Luftzug/Wind a gentle [or light] breeze/wind

eine \schwache Strömung a light current

▪ schwächer werden to become fainter

9. PHYS (eine geringe Leistung aufweisend) low-powered; Batterie low; Ladung weak

\schwaches Magnetfeld low-intensity magnetic field

dieser Motor ist zu \schwach this engine is not powerful enough

das Licht wird schwächer the light is fading [or failing

10. (dünn) Brett, Eisdecke thin

ein \schwaches Kettenglied a weak chain-link

11. CHEM (gering konzentriert) weak

12.

▶ [bei jdm/etw] \schwach werden (fam) to be unable to resist [sb/sth]

bei Schokoladentorte werde ich immer \schwach I can never resist chocolate gateau

bei dem Gehalt würde wohl jeder \schwach werden anybody would be tempted by a salary like that

nur nicht \schwach werden! (standhaft bleiben!) don't weaken!; (durchhalten!) don't give in!

▶ jdm wird \schwach [zumute] (fam) sb feels faint; s.a. Augenblick, Bild, Trost, Stelle

II. adv

1. (leicht) faintly

das Herz schlug nur noch \schwach the heartbeat had become faint

er hat sich nur \schwach gewehrt he didn't put up much resistance

2. (spärlich) sparsely

nachts sind die Grenzübergänge \schwach besetzt the border crossings aren't very heavily [or well] manned at night

mit Nachschlagewerken sind wir nun wirklich nicht \schwach bestückt we really have got quite a few [or lot of] reference works

die Ausstellung war nur \schwach besucht the exhibition wasn't very well [or was poorly] attended

3. (geringfügig)

Ihre Tochter beteiligt sich in den letzten Monaten nur noch \schwach am Unterricht your daughter has hardly been participating in class in recent months

dieses Problem hat mich immer nur \schwach interessiert this problem has never been of any great interest to me

\schwach applaudieren to applaud sparingly

eine \schwache Erinnerung an etw akk haben to vaguely remember sth

4. (dürftig) feebly

die Mannschaft spielte ausgesprochen \schwach the team put up a feeble performance

5. KOCHK (mild) slightly

der Arzt hat mir geraten, \schwach gesalzen zu essen my doctor has advised me not to add [too] much salt to my food

das Essen ist zu \schwach gewürzt the food isn't spicy enough

6. NUKL

\schwach aktiv low level active

\schwach aktiver Abfall low level active waste

7. CHEM

\schwach basisch weak basic

\schwach flüchtig low volatile

\schwach löslich weakly soluble

* * *
1.
; schwächer, schwächst... Adjektiv

1) (kraftlos) weak; weak, delicate <child, woman>; frail <invalid, old person>; low-powered <engine, car, bulb, amplifier, etc.>; weak, poor <eyesight, memory, etc.>; poor < hearing>; delicate <health, constitution>

schwach werden — grow weak; (fig.): (schwanken) weaken; waver; (nachgeben) give in

mir wird [ganz] schwach — I feel [quite] faint

in einer schwachen Stunde — in a weak moment

2) (nicht gut) poor <pupil, player, runner, performance, result, effort, etc.>; weak <candidate, argument, opponent, play, film, etc.>

er ist in Latein sehr schwach — he is very bad at Latin

das ist aber ein schwaches Bild! — (fig. ugs.) that's a poor show (coll.)

3) (gering, niedrig, klein) poor, low <attendance etc.>; sparse < population>; slight <effect, resistance, gradient, etc.>; light <wind, rain, current>; faint <groan, voice, pressure, hope, smile, smell>; weak, faint < pulse>; lukewarm <applause, praise>; faint, dim < light>; pale < colour>

das Licht wird schwächer — the light is fading

4) (wenig konzentriert) weak <solution, acid, tea, coffee, beer, poison, etc.>

5) (Sprachw.) weak <conjugation, verb, noun, etc.>
2.
adverbial

1) (kraftlos) weakly

2) (nicht gut) poorly

3) (in geringem Maße) poorly <attended, developed>; sparsely < populated>; slightly <poisonous, acid, alcoholic, sweetened, salted, inclined, etc.>; < rain> slightly; <remember, glow, smile, groan> faintly; lightly < accented>; < beat> weakly

4) (Sprachw.)

schwach gebeugt/konjugiert — weak

* * *

schwach

A. adj

1. allg weak; Stimme: weak, faint; Hoffnung, Lächeln: faint; Motor: low-powered; Batterie: low; Puls: weak, faint; Ton, Geruch: faint; Licht: dim;

schwache Ähnlichkeit slight resemblance;

schwaches Anzeichen faint sign;

schwacher Beifall half-hearted applause;

schwache Beteiligung low ( oder poor) turnout;

schwache Erinnerung faint ( oder vague, dim) recollection;

schwacher Esser poor eater;

das schwache Geschlecht the weaker sex;

schwaches Lob faint praise;

schwache Stelle weak spot;

eine schwache Stunde a moment of weakness;

schwacher Trost small consolation;

schwacher Versuch feeble attempt;

schwacher Widerstand weak resistance;

einen schwachen Willen haben be weak-willed;

schwacher Wind slight ( oder light) breeze

2. (schlecht) Mannschaft etc, Schüler: weak; umg (enttäuschend) hopeless; Gesundheit, Gedächtnis, Gehör: poor;

schwache Leistung poor ( oder weak) performance;

schwache Vorstellung THEAT poor performance; umg, fig (schlechte Leistung) poor show;

ein schwaches Bild bieten put up ( oder on) a poor show;

schwache Seite → Schwäche 2;

eines der schwächeren Stücke Brechts one of Brecht’s weaker plays;

in Erdkunde ist sie schwach geography is her weak subject, she’s not very good at geography;

ein Stützkurs für die Schwächeren a support program(me) for weaker pupils;

sozial schwach socially disadvantaged;

die sozial Schwachen the socially disadvantaged

3. (nachgiebig) soft;

schwach werden weaken; fig (nachgeben) auch relent; (erliegen) succumb;

er wurde schwach fig auch his resistance broke down;

bei dem Anblick wurde ich schwach umg I melted at the sight;

sich schwach zeigen show one’s weakness;

nur nicht schwach werden! umg don’t give in!;

mir wird ganz schwach, wenn ich daran denke umg I go weak at the knees just at the thought (of it)

4.

schwächer werden weaken (further), grow weaker; Nachfrage: fall off, decrease; Sehkraft: deteriorate; Ton, Licht: fade; schulisch, künstlerisch: → abflauen, nachlassen

5.

schwach auf der Brust sein umg be out of pocket

B. adv:

1.

schwach aktiv PHYS, Substanz: low-level;

schwach radioaktiv PHYS … emitting low-level radioactivity, low-level radioactive …;

schwach besetzt SPORT, Team: weak; Turnier: with a poor entry; Stadion etc: half empty;

schwach besiedelt oder

bevölkert Region: sparsely populated;

schwach betont LING, Silbe: weakly stressed;

schwach betont sein auch have a weak stress;

schwach begabt not at all gifted; Schüler: low-ability;

schwach besucht sein be poorly attended;

schwach motorisiert low-powered;

sich nur schwach wehren offer only weak resistance;

sein Herz schlug nur noch schwach he only had a faint heartbeat;

schwach dekliniertes Substantiv/Adjektiv weak noun/adjective

2. (schlecht)

schwach spielen play badly;

schwach entwickelt poorly developed, underdeveloped

…schwach im adj

1. qualitätsmäßig:

ausdrucksschwach inarticulate, lacking expressive power;

inhaltsschwach with poor content

2. leistungsmäßig:

gedächtnisschwach with a poor memory;

konditionsschwach unfit, in poor shape;

konzentrationsschwach unable to concentrate properly;

lernschwach with learning difficulties

3. mit zu geringer Zahl:

mitgliederschwach with few members;

PS-schwach low-powered

* * *
1.
; schwächer, schwächst... Adjektiv

1) (kraftlos) weak; weak, delicate <child, woman>; frail <invalid, old person>; low-powered <engine, car, bulb, amplifier, etc.>; weak, poor <eyesight, memory, etc.>; poor < hearing>; delicate <health, constitution>

schwach werden — grow weak; (fig.): (schwanken) weaken; waver; (nachgeben) give in

mir wird [ganz] schwach — I feel [quite] faint

in einer schwachen Stunde — in a weak moment

2) (nicht gut) poor <pupil, player, runner, performance, result, effort, etc.>; weak <candidate, argument, opponent, play, film, etc.>

er ist in Latein sehr schwach — he is very bad at Latin

das ist aber ein schwaches Bild! — (fig. ugs.) that's a poor show (coll.)

3) (gering, niedrig, klein) poor, low <attendance etc.>; sparse < population>; slight <effect, resistance, gradient, etc.>; light <wind, rain, current>; faint <groan, voice, pressure, hope, smile, smell>; weak, faint < pulse>; lukewarm <applause, praise>; faint, dim < light>; pale < colour>

das Licht wird schwächer — the light is fading

4) (wenig konzentriert) weak <solution, acid, tea, coffee, beer, poison, etc.>

5) (Sprachw.) weak <conjugation, verb, noun, etc.>
2.
adverbial

1) (kraftlos) weakly

2) (nicht gut) poorly

3) (in geringem Maße) poorly <attended, developed>; sparsely < populated>; slightly <poisonous, acid, alcoholic, sweetened, salted, inclined, etc.>; < rain> slightly; <remember, glow, smile, groan> faintly; lightly < accented>; < beat> weakly

4) (Sprachw.)

schwach gebeugt/konjugiert — weak

* * *

adj.

faint adj.

feckless adj.

feeble adj.

flimsy adj.

fragile adj.

infirm adj.

languid adj.

slight adj.

weak adj. adv.

faintly adv.

fecklessly adv.

feebly adv.

flimsily adv.

infirmly adv.

languidly adv.

slightly adv.

weakly adv.

Deutsch-Englisch Wörterbuch > schwach
7 take

take ⇒ Sizes

A n

1 Cin prise f (de vues) ; ‘it's a take!’ ‘elle est bonne!’ ;

2 Fishg, Hunt ( of fish) prise f ; ( of game) tableau m de chasse ;

3 ○ Comm ( amount received) recette f.

B vtr ( prét took ; pp taken)

1 ( take hold of) prendre [object, money] ; to take sb by the arm/hand/throat prendre qn par le bras/par la main/à la gorge ; to take sb's arm/hand prendre le bras/la main de qn ; to take sth from prendre qch sur [shelf, table] ; prendre qch dans [drawer, box] ; to take sth out of sth sortir qch de qch ; the passage is taken from his latest book le passage est tiré de son dernier livre ;

2 ( use violently) to take a knife/an axe to sb attaquer qn avec un couteau/une hache ;

3 ( have by choice) prendre [bath, shower, holiday] ; to take lessons prendre des leçons (in de) ; we take a newspaper/three pints of milk every day nous prenons le journal/trois pintes de lait tous les jours ; we take the Gazette nous recevons la Gazette ; I'll take a pound of apples, please donnez-moi une livre de pommes, s'il vous plaît ; take a seat! asseyez-vous! ; to take a wife/a husband† prendre femme/un mari† ;

4 ( carry along) emporter, prendre [object] ; emmener [person] ; to take sb to school/to work/to the hospital emmener qn à l'école/au travail/à l'hôpital ; to take a letter/a cheque to the post office porter une lettre/un chèque à la poste ; to take chairs into the garden porter des chaises dans le jardin ; to take the car to the garage emmener la voiture au garage ; the book? he's taken it with him le livre? il l'a emporté ; to take sb sth, to take sth to sb apporter qch à qn ; to take sb dancing/swimming emmener qn danser/se baigner ; to take sth upstairs/downstairs monter/descendre qch ; you can't take him anywhere! hum il n'est pas sortable! ;

5 (lead, guide) I'll take you through the procedure je vous montrerai comment on procède ; to take the actors through the scene faire travailler la scène aux acteurs ; I'll take you up to the second floor/to your room je vais vous conduire au deuxième étage/à votre chambre ;

6 ( transport) to take sb to [bus] conduire or emmener qn à [place] ; [road, path] conduire or mener qn à [place] ; his work takes him to many different countries son travail l'appelle à se déplacer dans beaucoup de pays différents ; what took you to Brussels? qu'est-ce que vous êtes allé faire à Bruxelles? ;

7 ( use to get somewhere) prendre [bus, taxi, plane etc] ; prendre [road, path] ; take the first turn on the right/left prenez la première à droite/à gauche ;

8 ( negotiate) [driver, car] prendre [corner, bend] ; [horse] sauter [fence] ;

9 ( accept) accepter, recevoir [bribe, money] ; prendre [patients, pupils] ; accepter [job] ; prendre [phone call] ; [machine] accepter [coin] ; [shop, restaurant etc] accepter [credit card, cheque] ; [union, employee] accepter [reduction, cut] ; will you take £10 for the radio? je vous offre 10 livres sterling en échange de votre radio ; that's my last offer, take it or leave it ! c'est ma dernière proposition, c'est à prendre ou à laisser! ; whisky? I can take it or leave it! le whisky? je peux très bien m'en passer ;

10 ( require) [activity, course of action] demander, exiger [patience, skill, courage] ; it takes patience/courage to do il faut de la patience/du courage pour faire ; it takes three hours/years etc to do il faut trois heures/ans etc pour faire ; it won't take long ça ne prendra pas longtemps ; it took her 10 minutes to repair it elle a mis 10 minutes pour le réparer ; the wall won't take long to build le mur sera vite construit ; it won't take long to do the washing-up la vaisselle sera vite faite ; it would take a genius/a strong person to do that il faudrait un génie/quelqu'un de robuste pour faire ça ; to have what it takes avoir tout ce qu'il faut (to do pour faire) ; typing all those letters in two hours will take some doing! ce ne sera pas facile de taper toutes ces lettres en deux heures! ; she'll take some persuading ce sera dur de la convaincre ;

11 Ling [verb] prendre [object] ; [preposition] être suivi de [case] ;

12 ( endure) supporter [pain, criticism] ; accepter [punishment, opinions] ; I find their attitude hard to take je trouve leur attitude difficile à accepter ; he can't take being criticized il ne supporte pas qu'on le critique ; she just sat there and took it! elle est restée là et ne s'est pas défendue ; he can't take a joke il ne sait pas prendre une plaisanterie ; go on, tell me, I can take it! vas-y, dis-le, je n'en mourrai pas ○ ! ; I can't take any more! je suis vraiment à bout! ;

13 ( react to) prendre [news, matter, criticism, comments] ; to take sth well/badly bien/mal prendre qch ; to take sth seriously/lightly prendre qch au sérieux/à la légère ; to take things one ou a step at a time prendre les choses une par une ;

14 ( assume) I take it that je suppose que ; to take sb for ou to be sth prendre qn pour qch ; what do you take me for? pour qui est-ce que tu me prends? ; what do you take this poem to mean? comment est-ce que vous interprétez ce poème? ;

15 ( consider as example) prendre [person, example, case] ; take John (for example), he has brought up a family by himself prends John, il a élevé une famille tout seul ; let us ou if we take the situation in France prenons la situation en France ; take Stella, she never complains! regarde Stella, elle ne se plaint jamais! ;

16 ( adopt) adopter [view, attitude, measures, steps] ; to take a soft/tough line on sb/sth adopter une attitude indulgente/sévère à l'égard de qn/qch ; to take the view ou attitude that être d'avis que, considérer que ;

17 ( record) prendre [notes, statement] ; [doctor, nurse] prendre [pulse, temperature, blood pressure] ; [secretary] prendre [letter] ; to take sb's measurements ( for clothes) prendre les mesures de qn ; to take a reading lire les indications ;

18 ( hold) [hall, bus] avoir une capacité de, pouvoir contenir [50 people, passengers etc] ; [tank, container] pouvoir contenir [quantity] ; the tank/bus will take… le réservoir/bus peut contenir… ; the cupboard/the suitcase won't take any more clothes il est impossible de mettre plus de vêtements dans ce placard/ cette valise ;

19 ( consume) prendre [sugar, milk, pills, remedy] ; to take tea/lunch with sb GB sout prendre le thé/déjeuner avec qn ; ⇒ drug ;

20 ( wear) ( in clothes) faire [size] ; to take a size 4 ( in shoes) ≈ faire ○ or chausser du 37 ;

21 Phot prendre [photograph] ;

22 Math ( subtract) soustraire [number, quantity] (from de) ;

23 ( study) prendre, faire [subject] ; suivre [course] ;

24 Sch, Univ ( sit) passer [exam, test] ;

25 ( teach) [teacher, lecturer] faire cours à [students, pupils] ; to take sb for Geography/French faire cours de géographie/de français à qn ;

26 ( officiate at) [priest] célébrer [service, prayer, wedding] ; dire [mass] ;

27 ( capture) [army, enemy] prendre [fortress, city] ; ( in chess) [player] prendre [piece] ; ( in cards) faire [trick] ; [person] remporter [prize] ; ⇒ hostage, prisoner ;

28 ○ ( have sex with) prendre [woman].

C vi ( prét took ; pp taken)

1 ( have desired effect) [drug] faire effet ; [dye] prendre ; ( grow successfully) [plant] prendre ;

2 Fishg [fish] mordre.

Idioms

I'll take it from here fig je prendrai la suite ; to be on the take ○ toucher des pots-de-vin ; to take it ou a lot out of sb fatiguer beaucoup qn ; to take it upon oneself to do prendre sur soi de faire ; to take sb out of himself changer les idées à qn ; you can take it from me,… croyez-moi,…

Phrasal verbs

■ take aback:

▶ take [sb] aback interloquer [person].

■ take after:

▶ take after [sb] tenir de [father, mother etc].

■ take against:

▶ take against [sb] prendre [qn] en grippe.

■ take along:

▶ take [sb/sth] along, take along [sb/sth] emporter [object] ; emmener [person].

■ take apart:

▶ take apart se démonter ; does it take apart? est-ce que ça se démonte? ;

▶ take [sb/sth] apart

1 ( separate into parts) démonter [car, machine] ;

2 ○ fig ( defeat) [player, team] massacrer ○ [opponent, team] ;

3 ○ ( criticize) [person, critic, teacher] descendre [qch] en flammes ○ [essay, film, book].

■ take aside:

▶ take [sb] aside prendre [qn] à part.

■ take away:

▶ take [sb/sth] away, take away [sb/sth]

1 ( remove) enlever, emporter [object] (from de) ; emmener [person] (from de) ; supprimer [pain, fear, grief] (from de) ; ‘two hamburgers to take away, please’ GB ‘deux hamburgers à emporter, s'il vous plaît’ ; to take away sb's appetite faire perdre l'appétit à qn ;

2 fig ( diminish) that doesn't take anything away from his achievement ça n'enlève rien à ce qu'il a accompli ;

3 ( subtract) soustraire [number] (from à, de) ; ten take away seven is three dix moins sept égalent trois.

■ take back:

▶ take [sth] back, take back [sth]

1 ( return to shop) [person, customer] rapporter [goods] (to à) ;

2 ( retract) retirer [statement, words] ; I take it back je retire ce que j'ai dit ;

▶ take [sb] back ( cause to remember) rappeler des souvenirs à [person] ; this song takes me back to my childhood cette chanson me rappelle mon enfance ;

▶ take [sb/sth] back, take back [sb/sth] ( accept again) reprendre [partner, employee] ; reprendre [gift, ring] ; [shop] reprendre [goods].

■ take down:

▶ take [sth] down, take down [sth]

1 ( remove) descendre [book, vase, box] ; enlever [picture, curtains] ;

2 ( lower) baisser [skirt, pants] ;

3 ( dismantle) démonter [tent, scaffolding] ;

4 ( write down) noter [name, statement, details].

■ take hold:

▶ take hold [disease, epidemic] s'installer ; [idea, ideology] se répandre ; [influence] s'accroître ; to take hold of ( grasp) prendre [object, hand] ; fig ( overwhelm) [feeling, anger] envahir [person] ; [idea] prendre [person].

■ take in:

▶ take [sb] in, take in [sb]

1 ( deceive) tromper, abuser [person] ; he was taken in il s'est laissé abuser ; don't be taken in by appearances! ne te fie pas aux apparences! ; I wasn't taken in by him je ne me suis pas laissé prendre à son jeu ;

2 ( allow to stay) recueillir [person, refugee] ; prendre [lodger] ;

▶ take in [sth]

1 ( understand) saisir, comprendre [situation] ; I can't take it in! je n'arrive pas à le croire! ;

2 ( observe) noter [detail] ; embrasser [scene] ;

3 ( encompass) inclure [place, developments] ;

4 ( absorb) [root] absorber [nutrients] ; [person, animal] absorber [oxygen] ; fig s'imprégner de [atmosphere] ;

5 Naut [boat] prendre [water] ;

6 Sewing reprendre [dress, skirt etc] ;

7 ( accept for payment) faire [qch] à domicile [washing, mending] ;

8 ○ ( visit) aller à [play, exhibition].

■ take off:

▶ take off

1 ( leave the ground) [plane] décoller ;

2 fig [idea, fashion] prendre ; [product] marcher ; [sales] décoller ;

3 ○ ( leave hurriedly) filer ○ ;

▶ take [sth] off

1 ( deduct) to take £10 off (the price) réduire le prix de 10 livres, faire une remise de 10 livres ;

2 ( have as holiday) to take two days off prendre deux jours de congé ; I'm taking next week off je suis en congé la semaine prochaine ;

3 ( make look younger) that hairstyle takes 15 years off you! cette coiffure te rajeunit de 15 ans! ;

▶ take [sth] off, take off [sth]

1 ( remove) enlever, ôter [clothing, shoes] ; enlever [lid, feet, hands] (from de) ; supprimer [dish, train] ; to take sth off the market retirer qch du marché ;

2 ( amputate) amputer, couper [limb] ;

3 ( withdraw) annuler [show, play] ;

▶ take [sb] off, take off [sb]

1 ○ ( imitate) imiter [person] ;

2 ( remove) to take sb off the case [police] retirer l'affaire à qn ; to take oneself off partir, s'en aller (to à).

■ take on:

▶ take on ( get upset) don't take on so ( stay calm) ne t'énerve pas ; ( don't worry) ne t'en fais pas ;

▶ take [sb/sth] on, take on [sb/sth]

1 ( employ) embaucher, prendre [staff, worker] ;

2 ( compete against) [team, player] jouer contre [team, player] ; ( fight) se battre contre [person, opponent] ; to take sb on at chess/at tennis jouer aux échecs/au tennis contre qn ;

3 ( accept) accepter, prendre [work, task] ; prendre [responsibilities] ;

4 ( acquire) prendre [look, significance, colour, meaning].

■ take out:

▶ take out s'enlever ; does this take out? est-ce que ça s'enlève? ;

▶ take [sb/sth] out, take out [sb/sth]

1 ( remove) sortir [object] (from, of de) ; [dentist] extraire, arracher ○ [tooth] ; [doctor] enlever [appendix] ; ( from bank) retirer [money] (of de) ; take your hands out of your pockets! enlève tes mains de tes poches! ;

2 ( go out with) sortir avec [person] ; to take sb out to dinner/for a walk emmener qn dîner/se promener ;

3 ( eat elsewhere) emporter [fast food] ; ‘two hamburgers to take out, please!’ ‘deux hamburgers à emporter, s'il vous plaît! ;

4 ( deduct) déduire [contributions, tax] (of de) ;

5 ○ (kill, destroy) éliminer [person] ; détruire [installation, target] ;

6 to take sth out on sb passer qch sur qn [anger, frustration] ; to take it out on sb s'en prendre à qn.

■ take over:

▶ take over

1 ( take control) (of town, country, party) [army, faction] prendre le pouvoir ; he's always trying to take over il veut toujours tout commander ;

2 ( be successor) [person] prendre la suite (as comme) ; to take over from remplacer, succéder à [predecessor] ;

▶ take over [sth]

1 ( take control of) prendre le contrôle de [town, country] ; reprendre [business] ; shall I take over the driving for a while? veux-tu que je prenne un peu le volant? ;

2 Fin racheter, prendre le contrôle de [company].

■ take part prendre part ; to take part in participer à [production, activity].

■ take place avoir lieu.

■ take to:

▶ take to [sb/sth]

1 ( develop liking for) he has really taken to her/to his new job elle/son nouvel emploi lui plaît vraiment beaucoup ;

2 ( begin) to take to doing ○ se mettre à faire ; he's taken to smoking/wearing a hat il s'est mis à fumer/porter un chapeau ;

3 (go) se réfugier dans [forest, hills] ; to take to one's bed se mettre au lit ; to take to the streets descendre dans la rue.

■ take up:

▶ take up ( continue story etc) reprendre ; to take up where sb/sth left off reprendre là où qn/qch s'était arrêté ; to take up with s'attacher à [person, group] ;

▶ take up [sth]

1 ( lift up) enlever [carpet, pavement, track] ; prendre [pen] ;

2 ( start) se mettre à [golf, guitar] ; prendre [job] ; to take up a career as an actor se lancer dans le métier d'acteur ; to take up one's duties ou responsibilities entrer dans ses fonctions ;

3 ( continue) reprendre [story, discussion] ; reprendre [cry, refrain] ;

4 ( accept) accepter [offer, invitation] relever [challenge] ; to take up sb's case Jur accepter de défendre qn ;

5 to take sth up with sb soulever [qch] avec qn [matter] ;

6 ( occupy) prendre, occuper [space] ; prendre, demander [time, energy] ;

7 ( adopt) prendre [position, stance] ;

8 Sewing ( shorten) raccourcir [skirt, curtains etc] ;

9 ( absorb) [sponge, material, paper] absorber [liquid] ;

▶ take [sb] up

1 ( adopt) fig she was taken up by the surrealists elle a été adoptée par les surréalistes ;

2 to take sb up on ( challenge) reprendre qn sur [point, assertion] ; ( accept) to take sb up on an invitation/an offer accepter l'invitation/l'offre de qn.

Big English-French dictionary > take

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geography was never my strong point

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Словари и энциклопедии на Академике

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geography was never my strong point

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