# Need translation of Portuguese political cartoon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860 "2017-06-01T18:48:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/1 "2017-06-01T18:48:46Z")
Need answer fast — it’s for work, and the deadline is today. The cartoon, which is from 1904, can be seen [here](http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60054-8/fulltext), though you have to scroll down a little. It shows Osvaldo Cruz and his “troops” setting out to vaccinate the Brazilian public against smallpox. The Portuguese sentences are: **Ou vae ou racha!** — Google translate tells me this means “Get in or leave.” **Hygeine á muque** **Aqui jaz a tranquille dade(?) publica** Any help would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/2 "2017-06-01T20:59:56Z")
I’ve messaged my friend in Lisbon and should hear shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/3 "2017-06-01T21:06:07Z")
The last line looks like “Here lies public tranquility (tranquilledade).” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/4 "2017-06-01T21:15:07Z")
Here’s what she wrote: > [@](#): > > Rachar" means “to crack”. When we say " ou vai, ou racha", it means that we are willing to take things to the limit, even if they end up cracking. She says there is something wrong with the second line, as it doesn’t make any sense to her. She’s Portuguese, not Brazilian, so perhaps it’s Brazilian slang for something. > [@](#): > > The third one, when you say “rest in Peace, John Doe” , we say “aqui jaz John doe”. So, it is a tumular inscription for the tranquility. In other words, ‘Rest in peace, public tranquility’. Also, there is no cartoon in your link. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/5 "2017-06-01T21:50:47Z")
I explained that the cartoon has something to do with health care. She thinks perhaps “a muque” is actually “À míngua”, which means lacking, or taken to the minimum. So the gist of the entire caption would be "“Taking it to the extreme, a lack (or minimum) of health care means the death of public tranquility”. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/6 "2017-06-01T22:46:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Here’s what she wrote: > > She says there is something wrong with the second line, as it doesn’t make any sense to her. She’s Portuguese, not Brazilian, so perhaps it’s Brazilian slang for something. > > In other words, ‘Rest in peace, public tranquility’. > > Also, there is no cartoon in your link. It’s there if you scroll down. Fig. 3. Thank you, **Chefguy** , and please thank your friend for taking the time to help out a stranger. It sounds as though the cartoon is anti-Cruz, saying he’s taking the whole health-care thing too far and making too many waves. I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/7 "2017-06-01T22:57:55Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > It’s there if you scroll down. Fig. 3. FWIW, I can’t find any cartoons in your link, either. Just text. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/8 "2017-06-01T23:59:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > FWIW, I can’t find any cartoons in your link, either. Just text. Same here. No cartoon. No “figure 3.” Unless you set up an account with _Lancet_ and log in. Most of the page is blank. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/9 "2017-06-02T00:04:11Z")
_Eu também não vejo um desenho animado._ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/10 "2017-06-02T02:23:14Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > _Eu também não vejo um desenho animado._ _Voce fala muito bem o portugues_. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/11 "2017-06-02T15:08:08Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > It’s there if you scroll down. Fig. 3. Not on my machine. Text followed by a lot of white space. No figures. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-translation-of-portuguese-political-cartoon/787860/12 "2017-06-02T16:22:54Z")
Ah, yes. Checking now from my work computer, I see that you have to register (for free, FWIW) with _The Lancet_ in order to see the whole article. I’d forgotten that I’d done that.