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  3. Poetry & Literature

tener aliento

English translation: energy

03:02 Jun 15, 2022
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Spanish term or phrase: tener aliento
Buenas tardes,

Ustedes podrían ayudarme a traducir "tuvo aliento" en la siguiente oración, por favor.

Oración: "Cuando llegó a la contestadora, apenas si tuvo aliento para presionar el botón de PLAY@".

Contexto: esta oración se encuentra en un cuento que habla sobre una mujer enferma, pero que recibe mensajes de su exnovio en el contestador automatico.
José Pablo Corrales
Costa Rica
English translation:energy
Explanation:
"... she barely had enough energy to push the PLAY button".
Alternative you could say:
"... she was so out of breath she could barely manage to press the Play button".

I am pretty sure this is the meaning. Someone who is seriously ill, as it seems to be the case (I am not finding the rest of this particular story but that is the subject of the book) will very likely get out of breath, particularly after making an effort.
Selected response from:

Cecilia Gowar
United Kingdom
Grading comment
Great answer!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2energy
Cecilia Gowar
4 +1have the courage
Toni Castano
4barely felt the courage to
Barbara Cochran, MFA
4take a breath
neilmac


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
have the courage


Explanation:
To me “tener aliento” means in this context “to have to courage/spirit (to do something)”.

SOURCE:
Cuando llegó a la contestadora, apenas si tuvo aliento para presionar el botón de PLAY@.

POSSIBLE RENDERING:
When she got to the answer phone, she barely had the courage to press the PLAY@ button.

This is the applicable meaning in this case, in my opinion:
https://dle.rae.es/aliento
Aliento
5. m. Vigor del ánimo, esfuerzo, valor. U. t. en pl. con el mismo significado que en sing.



Toni Castano
Spain
Local time: 07:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: I'm going with this because you're the only person to have provided a reference. Cecilia's "energy" could also work, but we don't have enough context.
5 hrs
  -> Okay, phil, noted. Truth is there are some other possibilities open (at least one more), just look at Cecilia´s option, which is valid as well (I think I´ll have to read the chapter in question to be surer, homework for this evening :-)).
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
barely felt the courage to


Explanation:
Another possibility.

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 01:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 103

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Toni Castano: No, it´s not another possibility, just my interpretation with a different verb. Please don´t copy other´s answers.
19 mins
  -> Sorry, Toni, but my translation is clearly not a copy of yours. Anyway, I entered my translation before I ever saw what you did.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
take a breath


Explanation:
In other words, she barely stopped to take a breath (breathe) before pressing the play button.
There are several ways to express the notion, but "aliento" means breath so…

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2022-06-15 07:30:26 GMT)
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"Breathlessly, she pressed 'play'...."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2022-06-15 09:29:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If, on the other hand, the meaning is more akin to Tony's suggestion, you might consider something along the lines of "She could barely/scarcely bring herself to press the play button…"


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2022-06-15 09:30:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/bring oneself to

neilmac
Spain
Local time: 07:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 155
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
energy


Explanation:
"... she barely had enough energy to push the PLAY button".
Alternative you could say:
"... she was so out of breath she could barely manage to press the Play button".

I am pretty sure this is the meaning. Someone who is seriously ill, as it seems to be the case (I am not finding the rest of this particular story but that is the subject of the book) will very likely get out of breath, particularly after making an effort.


Cecilia Gowar
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 227
Grading comment
Great answer!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  María Patricia Arce
1 hr
  -> ¡Gracias María!
agree  Stephanie Ament: This seems in line with the RAE definition and the passage. Equally natural to Cecilia's options could simply be, "...she barely had the energy to push the PLAY button" or "she barely had the energy to push PLAY."
14 hrs
  -> Thanks Stephanie!
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