lexical (asker) Apr 30, 2010:

continued... I would just add this: we know, of course, that the verb "tardar" means to take a long time to do something or for something to happen, but very surprisingly I had not met "tarda que" before. I would say that "it is taking a long time for..." (Gilla) means that something is happening, but too slowly. And I would interpret "it takes time for..." (your suggestion) as a habitual action (it ALWAYS takes time for X to happen). Now, I think the author's intention is different from either of those - and that it's that something NEEDS to happen, but it ISN'T happening but it OUGHT to before much longer.
In retrospect - after closing the question - I thought that I should avoid the "time" aspect and interpret "tarda que + imponha" loosely as something along the lines of "there is a great need to".
Nevertheless, it is gratifying to see so much interest and willingness to help, and I do appreciate all the contributions.
That is my last comment because the translation has been delivered and life has moved on.

lexical (asker) Apr 30, 2010:

Marcelo Yes, it is just MY interpretation, but that's inevitable isn't it, seeing that I'm the only one who has read the whole of this extended academic paper and that ultimately I am the one who has responsibility for the translation. I'm sure you will agree that it isn't practical or possible to post 4000 words of context, and you do really need to read it all to understand the author's stance.
I actually did not have any preconceptions as to the meaning of the term when I posted the question; it was only later, after reading people's suggestions that I formed a view that I wished to test out.

coolbrowne Apr 30, 2010:

Find the best translation Now here is an idea I wholeheartedly agree with. :-)

We should all be looking for the best translation, not for ways to fit someone’s perception, be it the asker or a responder. However, it does not apply here, because the asker was dead on. Those who understand Spanish and Portuguese can click on the link below for a great example where that concern does apply: the asker's suggestion influenced one of the responders, resulting in the former selecting the latter's "answer", which turned out to be the one that was totally incorrect (but, predictably, did fit her preconceived notion):

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/2668745

Marcelo González Apr 30, 2010:

Lexical As I've already stated, it would have been good to have seen more of the text itself. Your interpretation might be perfectly fine, but it's just that, i.e., YOUR interpretation. I'd like to think questions are posted to find the best translations, and not to just confirm ideas (or interpretations) askers may already have when posting their questions (with limited context). If the community has more information, the final result is more likely to be the product of a rich, collaborative effort, which benefits us all. Suerte y saludos desde las Islas Marianas :-)

lexical (asker) Apr 30, 2010:

Marcelo I don't perceive a "strong sense of urgency" in the author's desire for a return to a purer democracy, though I do sense a perception of its importance - a great need, if you like. There is also an undercurrent of "this is so important, we should have done it before", so to speak. I hope that answers your question.

Marcelo González Apr 29, 2010:

It would have been good... ...to have actually seen more of the text itself to appreciate the writer's tone, e.g., was it objective and scholarly, or was it more opinion-oriented with a strong sense of urgency. If it's the latter, then "It's high time that/for" might be a good option (in addition to "it's time for/that"). Cheers from the Marianas :-)

lexical (asker) Apr 29, 2010:

To try to clarify some issues - 1. The context is not about the financial crisis in Greece, but is a discussion of the tension between democracy (hence the reference to Athens) and State power throughout history.
2. With the undoubted benefit of having the whole text in front of me, I am sure that the author's sentiments as expressed in the quoted passage in my question are a wish for a return to purer, 'Athenian' democratic values. There is an element of impatience with the existing situation, with the concentration of power in the hands of politicians rather than the people.
3. Therefore, I think the correct tone lies in expressions like "it's time that", "it's overdue", etc.

Marcelo González Apr 29, 2010:

Context is important... ...in order to analyze (among other things) questions of tone and intent. Knowing these two things can help us determine the extent to which the author's use of the words in question reflects standard usage.

coolbrowne Apr 28, 2010:

What is the text about? Well... Far be it from me to begrudge any reasonable request for context: the subject and purpose of a given text are great resources in case there is some difficulty with its translation. However, in this case, I must give credit to the asker in that the meaning of the specific expression ("tarda que") is already crystal clear to anybody with a well established knowledge of the Portuguese language. And, to be fair, I must observe that finding a suitable translation requires a solid knowledge of the English language as well.

Marcelo González Apr 28, 2010:

What could you tell us about the text itself? Is it about the (current) financial crisis in Greece, by any chance? More context might be especially useful. You might want to post the next few sentences.

coolbrowne Apr 28, 2010:

Yes, it's overdue Yes, that is definitely the meaning. In fact I did play with the idea of "overdue" but decided it wouldn't be suitable. The subject of "is" would have to be the wish in question, rather than the indefinite "it" in "it's about time". But said wish is a long compound phrase, starting with the word "that" (or "que" in the original), so it too would have to be reversed, the verb "impose", changed into a noun, and so on, and so forth. In short, that would entail a serious assault on the original style, definitely not cool. ;-)

lexical (asker) Apr 28, 2010:

I'm beginning to warm to the idea (like coolbrowne's) that the meaning is that this development is overdue/it's high time that...(though the latter is probably in the wrong register. Any comments?