Translation exercise : ¡Un cafemoto! Please provide your best translation.

Question

I got the following beautifully poetic twit from a good friend of mine today.

I thought it would be perfect to share with the Forum as a challenge for Spanish learners.

Please provide your best translation for the following statment. Native Spanish speakers please refrain, although you may offer tips if you see that someone is either very close,or very lost!

"Me encanta cuando la espuma del café es espesa y aguanta la montañita de azúcar. Luego se hunde la islita y en el 'cafemoto' revuelves, ¡yum!"

jeje, pues para qué voy a decir nada...si no tengo ni idea lo que es esto!! lol - 00494d19, JUN 19, 2010

Gekko, te he cambiado el tìtulo, yo no sabía tampoco que era una traducción - 00494d19, JUN 19, 2010

Gracias, Heidita. ¡A veces es fácil olvidar que este es principalmente un sitio de aprendizaje! - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 1

I love it when the coffee foam is thick and supports the little sugar mountain. Later the little island sinks and you stir in the coffeequake. Yum!

Wasn't sure what to do with the "en."

Maybe: ...in the coffeequake, you stir. ¿Quién sabe? - Delores--Lindsey, JUN 18, 2010

Very good! - Gekkosan, JUN 18, 2010

sounds like strong coffee - nizhoni1, JUN 19, 2010

Ja,ja! But it has nothing to do with the strength , but rather the quality! - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Ok. This is really a very good translation, and I very much like the adaptation of the word "cafemoto" into "coffequake". Very clever, and apt. I'm posting a full explanation below. - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 2

Me encanta cuando la espuma del café es espesa  y aguanta la montañita de azúcar. Luego se hunde  la islita y en el 'cafemoto' revuelves, ¡yum!

I love it when the coffee's froth is thick and supports  the little mountain of sugar. Later, the dear little island sinks,  and in the 'coffee-quake' you mix. Yum!

Sounds like someone might be having a wee bit more than just expresso in their coffee!

Nice. To me, it's an expression of pure joy in this simple pleasure. :-) - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

hahaha yes sounds like some added extra - FELIZ77, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 3

I love it when the coffee foam is thick and is able to hold up the mound of sugar. Then the little island starts to sink and the 'cafemoto' is stirring, yum!

I am thinking that maybe cafemoto is the teaspoon or that battery-operated coffee-stirrer. Cafemoto may be like coffee + moto (motorbike).

Delores, the one I was referring to is more "primitive" than what Dee described. What I meant is something that looks like this: battery-operated coffee stirrer

They really have a motorized coffee-stirrer! Oh, my gosh! lol - Delores--Lindsey, JUN 18, 2010

Delores~~I still use the one I purchased from (of all places) Avon a couple of years ago! The little stirrer is in the bottom of the cup and to activate it, you just squeeze the cup handle! jejeje Best thing since sliced bread :-) - Dee914, JUN 18, 2010

There is something strange with your sentence construction here, Rikko. Would you like to check it and offer a rewrite? - Gekkosan, JUN 18, 2010

Sounds great, Dee! - Delores--Lindsey, JUN 18, 2010

Gekkosan, if I will change the "is stirring" to "you stir in", then "cafemoto" can't be the teaspoon. - Rikko, JUN 18, 2010

Oh, I see what you meant. I guess I need to have my morning coffee already. - Rikko, JUN 18, 2010

Much better. :-) - Gekkosan, JUN 18, 2010

Rikko, I think that cute thing goes on my b/d wish list. - Delores--Lindsey, JUN 18, 2010

Delores, I was thinking of giving you a golden teaspoon, but OK, as you wish then. :) - Rikko, JUN 18, 2010

lol - Delores--Lindsey, JUN 18, 2010

I was puzzled by what cafemoto was I initially thought that it was teh name of a cafe selling coffee lol hahhaha - FELIZ77, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 4

In general, I think everyone made a good effort.

This is the original statement:

"Me encanta cuando la espuma del café es espesa y aguanta la montañita de azúcar. Luego se hunde la islita y en el 'cafemoto' revuelves, ¡yum!"

I believe Delores crafted the best interpretation with:

I love it when the coffee foam is thick and supports the little sugar mountain. Later the little island sinks and you stir in the coffeequake. Yum!

Estudiante and Feliz used a word for "espuma" that I like better than foam: "froth". However, Delores' "Coffeequake" is brilliant.

As most surmised, "coffeequake" is a beautiful made up word: For an earth movement you have "terremoto" - "earthquake". For a sea quake you have "maremoto" - "tidal wave". So if you have a similar event occur on coffee, what do you get? "¡Cafemoto!" - "Coffeequake!" I love it!

Having seen all the various contributions and ideas, I would submit the following English version:

"I love it when the coffee froth is thick and holds the little sugar mountain. Presently, the little island sinks, and in the ensuing coffeequake, you stir."

Ah-ha! 'in the ensuing coffeequake you stir.' that's what I couldn't figure out. Thx! - estudiante9871, JUN 20, 2010

I was wondering where the word "coffeequake" which Delores used came from. So Delores actually devised a new word? Great! :) - Rikko, JUN 21, 2010

Answer 5

"Me encanta cuando la espuma del café es espesa y aguanta la montañita de azúcar. Luego se hunde la islita y en el 'cafemoto' revuelves, ¡yum!"

=I love it when the froth of the coffee is thick* (1) and it supports the small mountain of sugar. Afterwards,the little island sinks*(2) and you mix in the 'coffeequake',Lovely!

or deep1 or is buried 2** yum =could also be 'tasty' !

I know some of this is correct but am not sure about all of it I saw it as a learning curve/experience lol

Good interpretation! - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 6

Me encanta cuando la espuma del café es espesa y aguanta la montañita de azúcar. Luego se hunde la islita y en el 'cafemoto' revuelves, ¡yum!"

I love it when the foam is thick and holds the heap of sugar. Later, it sinks and the coffequake revolves. (You must be mixing it some how.) Yum!

Good! - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 7

"Me encanta cuando la espuma del café es espesa y aguanta la montañita de azúcar. Luego se hunde la islita y en el 'cafemoto' revuelves, ¡yum!"

I love it when the foam on the coffee is thick and firm like little mountains of sugar. Then you sink the little islands and the "coffee" [some kind of invented/poetic word for coffee?!] mixes in, yum!

Hmm, somehow I think I'm losing some of the "poetic" aspect of the original! I thought I was doing OK 'til the last phrase.

I like this idea, translating tweets -- nice and short and sometimes pithy, you could make this a recurring thread Gekko! Gracias.

ah, coffe-quake, me gusta! - schemmn, JUN 19, 2010

I do get lots of tweets every day, but most of them are news. I'll make sure to share other interesting ones I receive. :-) - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 8

Interesting...I believe that "cafemoto" comes from "terremoto"...

The translation would be something like:

I like it when the coffee foam is thick and can hold a little mountain of sugar. Later the little island sinks and you mix it in the "earthquake"...

Very good! - Gekkosan, JUN 19, 2010

Answer 9

Not familiar with 'coffeequake' but Delores-Lin's translation is as poetic as Gekko stated it would be!

Could revuelves ever be used for 'dissolves?'

Coffeequake is a made-up word. lol Probably has nothing to do with the original word in Spanish. :-) - Delores--Lindsey, JUN 18, 2010

I'll reserve comment on that until we get some more answers. :-) - Gekkosan, JUN 18, 2010

late, look for disolver and remover....;);) - 00494d19, JUN 19, 2010

I did look, but I know that we gift words additional meanings, especially done by poets. Referred to in English as Poetic License. Had to ask! - LateToDinner, JUN 20, 2010