Como falo em inglês: Foi uma benção aquele táxi aparecer

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Jan 16
Como falo em inglês Foi uma benção aquele táxi aparecer

Hi, everyone. O episódio de hoje fala sobre duas expressões do inglês que expressam gratidão por uma ajuda inesperada que apareceu na sua vida.

Transcrição

You're a life-saver!

You’re a life-saver!

Hi, all. Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. Please subscribe to this podcast using the Podcasts app for iPhone or iPad, or listen to the episodes using the Inglesonline Android app. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.

So let’s look at a couple of terms from English that are useful when you want to express relief. What kind of relief am I talking about, though? Well, I’m talking about situations where… you’re kind of in trouble maybe, or facing some kind of difficulty or maybe in an uncomfortable situation and then, something happens or someone shows up, or gives you something that makes your whole situation a little bit easier.

Let’s start with godsend. Godsend – that’s one word and it is usually a noun, not an adjective. We say “That phone booth in the middle of nowhere was a godsend”. A godsend is something or someone that you didn’t expect to show up in your life and that thing or that person is very, very welcome for the reasons I mentioned above. Maybe it’s something that has come to solve a need. Listen to this example I found on Twitter – this guy tweeted out i-Share is a godsend.

So what is i-Share? It’s a website for sharing job opportunities and other job-related stuff. So this guy has all of a sudden  found the i-Share website, which somehow makes his life easier or maybe answers a lot of his questions regarding job search. So he thinks i-Share is a godsend. He’s grateful for this site. It’s a godsend. Here’s what someone else said: This half-day was a godsend. What does that mean? This guy only worked until noon today, twelve pm. He had a half day of work. He didn’t have to work for eight hours today; he went home after only four hours. So he’s saying that this half-day was a godsend. Why? I don’t know; he didn’t explain why but I’m guessing that either he was tired and could use a rest, or he had some errands to run and he was able to take care of that during the afternoon.

The other term we have for today is a bit more dramatic, I think: life-saver. It has a similar meaning to “godsend”, in principle, but a life-saver, like I said, communicates a bit more of a dramatic message. A life-saver is someone or something that helps you significantly when you’re in a difficult situation. Of course, people use it liberally and it doesn’t always mean that you saved that person’s life. Let’s say a friend casually asks you “Would you happen to have a stamp?” You open your wallet, pull out a stamp and hand it over to your friend. Your friend can’t believe it. She says “Wow, I totally did not expect you to have a stamp. You’re a life-saver!”.

Now check out this example. Someone said on Twitter If someone you know is going through a tough time, reach out. Your call, text or direct message may be a life-saver. So this guy just offered a piece of advice – kinda interesting advice. He said… you know, if you know someone in need, just reach out to them. You never know! Your message could be exactly what they need; it could be the word of incentive or the comfort they need to just keep going. Your message may be a life-saver.

Here’s one example from me: one day I was walking down a street and I didn’t have my cell phone on me. Then all of a sudden I tripped on the sidewalk and twisted my ankle, and it hurt a lot. A few minutes later a cab just pulled over on the tree behind me. That cab was a life-saver.

What are your stories? What was a godsend or a life-saver in your life? Tell us in the comments, and talk to you next time!


Keywords

  • a godsend
  • a life-saver

 

Glossary

could use a rest = estava precisando de um descanso

run some errands = ir em vários lugares (na rua – banco, padaria, etc)

reach out = tome a iniciativa de contatar essa pessoa

Ana
Jeff 06/02/2014

Hello Ana! How have you been? :D

I have a terrible but cool story:

First one: Last year in a rainy day I was going to buy some cat food and then I started to run to get at the pet shop faster so my bag opened by itself. My wallet and my glasses case went out from the bag but I did not notice that by the way. Getting on the bus to go home, I open my bag and there are no wallets/glasses cases :c I came back to look for them but… nothing.

3 days after:

I’m at work when I policeman calls me and tells me that a guy who lives on the street had found my wallet and my glasses case at a square really far from where I really have lost them lol!! That phone call was a godsend!

Super cool! I am a blessed boy. :P

Great tip! :*

Marcos Roberto 23/01/2014

I have some friends who are godsends lots of time. When I just need someone to talk or spend time, my besties apper to me.

patricia 22/01/2014

Boa noite! O APP é ótimo, ocorre que desde do dia 20/01, só consigo visualizar os episódios já baixados.

Juliana Guerreiro Lira 22/01/2014

Olá Ana.

Estou com problemas com o APP para android.. começou a funcionar normal e depois do nada não conecta e diz que está com problemas na internet ou no cartão de memória.

Sabe o que poderia ser?

Jennifer 17/01/2014

Hi, Ana! Amazing post.I had never hearing these words before.My example:Last year I was told, that maybe I had breast cancer. Was such a terrible news.And then I made all the possibles examination I could.And in the end wasn’t that bad.What relief!!! So I can tell you that envelope with the good news was a life- saver to me.Literaly.

Kisses!!

    Jennifer 17/01/2014

    Acho que em português nós usamos godsend, como aquela expressão tão comum:Foi Deus que mandou isso ou aquilo,não?

      Ana 19/01/2014

      Oi Jennifer
      Thanks for the example.
      Com certeza temos expressão pra isso em português – não conheço essa q você citou!

Fátima Regina 17/01/2014

Hello Ann! How’s it going!

My mother uses to be my life – saver, she helps me when I need her help; our mother is always our lifesaver.
But I think that I am also a life-saver on facebook, because I use to send good messages for those who are going through a tough time.

Bye Ann, and thanks for your podcast once more!

    Ana 19/01/2014

    Hi, Fátima!
    Thanks for the examples :-)
    It’s amazing when someone gives us a hand just when we need it.

Sergio Rodrigues 17/01/2014

Both of them shouldn’t be replaced by “ggod thing that” or “luckly?

    Ana 19/01/2014

    Hi Sérgio

    I guess the meanings of all of them are approximately the same, but you make a choice (so to speak… it just happens so fast) when you’re speaking, just like in Portuguese when you say “graças a Deus que…” instead of “por sorte,…” or “ainda bem que…”

    Ana Luiza 19/01/2014

    Além do que, a morfologia das expressões que citei é diferente das que vc citou.

    Dizemos “She’s a life-saver” – como mencionei no texto, life-saver e godsend são substantivos.

    Luckily, por exemplo, é um advérbio e é usado de outra maneira, assim como “good thing that”

    Ou seja, não pode ser feita substituição direta.

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