A few weeks back, we taught a phrasal verb that you can use to say “chegando perto, quase me alcançando”? Do you remember how to say that in English? Click here to review the phrasal verb.
- a few weeks back = algumas semanas atrás
- tip = dica
Well, a student of mine was watching an episode of the classic Star Trek series; and in the story, the starship Enterprise was being chased by an alien planet-killing machine.
- a student of mine = um aluno meu
- starship = nave estelar
- was being chased = estava sendo perseguido
- alien planet-killing machine = máquina alienígena destruidora de planetas
The captain, who was on another ship, called his first officer Spock and asked him how things were going.
- first officer = primeiro oficial
- how things were going = como iam as coisas
This is the conversation that ensued:
- (conversation) that ensued = (conversa) que se seguiu
(Click on the image above to watch.)
[note class=”idea”]DICA: Clique no primeiro botão “Imprima com PrintFriendly” no final deste texto onde diz “Share the Knowledge” para gerar uma formatação mais simples para impressão.
Fill in the blanks (Preencha as lacunas). Then see answers, translations, and explanations below.
SPOCK: It (1) _____ upon us fast, Captain, but we seem able to maintain our distance.
CAPTAIN KIRK: We’re (2)______ here. What’s it look like?
SPOCK: It looks very much like Commodore Decker’s planet killer. And it is pursuing us.
SPOCK: We are more maneuverable, but it is (3) _______ ____ us. Sensors indicate some kind of total conversion drive. No evidence of life, subspace interference level incredibly high.
CAPTAIN KIRK: Whatever it is, we can’t let it go beyond us to the next solar system. We have to stop it. If it’s a robot, what are the chances of deactivating it?
Script with Translations and Explanations
SPOCK: It (1) came upon us fast, Captain, but we seem able to maintain our distance.
Ela veio em nossa direção muito rápido, capitão, mas parece que estamos podendo manter distância.
CAPTAIN KIRK: We’re (2) blind here. What’s it look like?
Nós estamos cegos aqui. Como ela se parece?
SPOCK: It looks very much like Commodore Decker’s planet killer. And it is pursuing us.
Parece bastante com o assassino de planetas do Comodoro Decker, e está nos perseguindo.
SPOCK: We are more maneuverable, but it is (3) gaining on us. Sensors indicate some kind of total conversion drive. No evidence of life, subspace interference level incredibly high.
Nós somos mais ágeis, mas eles estão nos alcançando. Sensores indicam um tipo de motor de conversão completa. Sem evidencia de vida, nível de interferência subespacial incrivelmente alto.
CAPTAIN KIRK: Whatever it is, we can’t let it go beyond us to the next solar system. We have to stop it. If it’s a robot, what are the chances of deactivating it?
O que quer que seja, nós não podemos deixar ela (ir além de nós e) alcançar o próximo sistema solar. Nós temos que pará-la.
Well, that’s our tip for today. It was actually a review of a previous tip. Please say hello and tell us what you though of today’s tip in the comments section below.
Very good tip. Phrasal verbs are a very hard task to us, brazilians, and we need your help to understand them. thanx.
Thank you, Geraldo! So glad you find our tips useful!
Hi Guys! I’ve studying English by myself, trainning the listening, I meant, trying to do it because I consider very difficult. So, I watched and Couldn´t reach the part of test in the video…I’ll try again as I said: it’s difficult to me. Some words simply scapes me.
Well guys, I like this Tips, I had solved two blank sentences in the third one i had chose “reaching up”, is it much wrong?
Keep doing your Tips !
🙂
We love ’em.
Vinicius Mittitier – São Paulo – Brazil
Hello, Vini! You could have said “catching up”, but “gaining on” sounds more ominous. You can just “catch up to somebody” to run with him for example; but if you are trying to run away from someone, and they are getting closer and closer and closer – then you would say that they are “gaining on you”.