gusconversation

25-2012

I) CARNIVAL (5)

01. to go on retreat
I'm not going to watch the carnival parades, neither street carnival nor carnival blocks. I'm going to go on retreat.

02. couch potato
I'm not going to see the master of ceremonies, the flag-bearer, the floats or the samba school drum sections. I'm going to be like a couch potato: watch a lot of movies on DVD during carnival.

03. Lent
After carnival, the period of 40 days till Easter is called Lent.

to go on retreat - fazer 'retiro'
couch potato - pessoa que assiste muito televisão (tradução literal: batata de sofá)
flag-bearer - porta-bandeira
floats - carros alegóricos
drum section - bateria (de escola de samba)
Lent - quaresma
revelry - folia
somehow - de algum modo
to call a hault - pôr um fim

II) HIGHLIGHT

Carnival is the revelry that, somehow, calls a halt to the country's life routine for a few days.