Estar obligado a

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Estar obligado a hacer algo.
Ej. LAs empresas españolas están obligadas a contratar a un tanto por ciento de minúsvalidos.
How can we translate estar obligados in this sentence, to be forced to, sound very strong.

[lblanco]

I would suggest obligated to "Spanish companies are obligated to hire a certain percentage of..."

[wrholt]

Another possiblity is "to be required to (do something)", which is essentially a synonym of "to be obligated to (do something)"

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

LAs empresas españolas están obligadas a contratar a un tanto por ciento de minúsvalidos.
How can we translate estar obligados in this sentence, to be forced to, sound very strong.

The above are correct, but at least in UK English, if the obligation is specified by law, it becomes a legal requirement then it is usual to be that specific.

Spanish businesses are legally required to employ a certain percentage of disabled people.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I also found To be obliged to, is it a synonym of Obligated?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

I also found To be obliged to, is it a synonym of Obligated?

Yes, and I think I would use it more often.

A driver is (legally) obliged to carry his/her driving licence when driving.

[poli]

I agree with Perikles, but I somehow think that obliged is less rigid than obligated. In southeastern parts of the USA you may hear much obliged said instead of thank you--like the Portuguese obrigato (or is it obrigado). Nobody would say very obligated as a means of saying thank you.

For that reason I think obliged has a more flexible meaning.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by poli

... like the Portuguese obrigato (or is it obrigado).

It's obrigado.