Cuentagotas (in this context)

English translation: was few and far between

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Cuentagotas (in this context)
English translation:was few and far between
Entered by: Eileen Brophy

17:56 Sep 15, 2016
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Journalism / Pharmaceutical products
Spanish term or phrase: Cuentagotas (in this context)
Does anyone have a suggestion other than "dropper" in this context please, as my imagination is going to sleep today :-0((

This is the text :

a pesar de ser una de las más prevalentes del planeta- hace que las buenas noticias para los 214 millones de personas infectadas por malaria en 2015 se den con cuentagotas.

Thank you for any help
Eileen Brophy
Spain
Local time: 12:58
was few and far between
Explanation:
for the 214 million .... good news was few and far between
an idiomatic expression

few and far between | Definition, meaning & more | Collins Dictionary
www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/few-and-far-be...
phrase Things that are few and far between are very rare or do not happen very often. [emphasis] ⇒ Successful women politicians are few and far between.

CS's review of When Will There Be Good News? - Goodreads
www.goodreads.com/review/show/41820195
Jan 4, 2009 - A very appropriately titled book, as good news was few and far between for most of the characters.I loved the previous Jackson Brodie book by ...
The Week That Solar Was Left for Dead | Seeking Alpha
seekingalpha.com › Investing Ideas › Technology
Nov 24, 2008 - The good news was few and far between. What stuck out most to me was the (all too familiar) vigorous selling that followed LDK's earnings ...
Executives to forgo incentives following dismal IBM Q4 results ...
www.businesscloudnews.com/.../executives-to-forgo-incentive...
Jan 22, 2014 - ... cloud business and modest growth in business analytics, a massive investment area for IBM, good news was few and far between.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2016-09-15 21:28:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I posted this first and then read Charles's answer (promise!). It does seem to be used with news quite frequently.
Selected response from:

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 08:58
Grading comment
I think this is what we would say in the UK, thank you very much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3thin on the ground
Charles Davis
4 +2patchy / intermittent / sporadic[ally] / in dribs and drabs
Robert Carter
4hen's teeth
neilmac
4was few and far between
patinba
3(news)... trickling in/out
Ana Vozone


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
patchy / intermittent / sporadic[ally] / in dribs and drabs


Explanation:
It would help if we had the beginning of the sentence too, but these seem appropriate.

"...despite being one of the most prevalent ones on the planet--means good news for the 214 million people affected by malaria in 2015 is sporadic/patchy/intermittent (appears sporadically/in dribs and drabs/little by little)."






Robert Carter
Mexico
Local time: 05:58
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: This is the beginning of the sentence Robert. Así pues, la falta de innovación y de interés de las compañías farmacéuticas por una enfermedad que no es rentable


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  neilmac: "...the good news comes... in dribs and drabs" (isn't that very UK usage?) is what I thought of first...
57 mins
  -> Thanks, Neil, I think it probably is, perhaps Aus. too, I can't say if I ever recall hearing an American use the expression.

agree  Mario Solis Burgos
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Mario.
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
thin on the ground


Explanation:
I think it implies something rarer than any of Robert's suggestions; scarce rather than sporadic or intermittent. Also it's an idiomatic set phrase which seems to me to call for a similar one in English. "Few and far between" would be good but it needs a plural, and I don't think you can say that good news is few and far between. But "thin on the ground" is one possibility; you could say "very thin on the ground" or "pretty thin on the ground" if you like.

Nigel Lawson in the Daily Mail (sorry!):

"We are living in an era when good news is thin on the ground."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2244822/Thought-ru...

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-09-15 19:08:28 GMT)
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Or you might consider a freer version, such as:

"...means that the 214 million people infected with malaria in 2015 have had very little to celebrate".

This way you wouldn't translate "buenas noticias" literally at all; it would be included in the idea of having little to celebrate. I could imagine an English-speaking journalist writing it. That's what I think we need to aim at.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 12:58
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 116
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Charles


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Robert Carter: Yes, this is more like it - the idea is that the news is "bleak". You have a bit of a knack for this, don't you ;-)
20 mins
  -> Thanks very much, Robert! I'm flattered :)

agree  bizisyl
23 mins
  -> Thanks, bizisyl :)

agree  neilmac
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Neil ;)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
hen's teeth


Explanation:
"good news... is like hen's teeth"...




    https://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/feb/23/research.highereducation
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 12:58
Does not meet criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(news)... trickling in/out


Explanation:
Another suggestion.

Bits of news are trickling out about the LG PM800, a PocketPC-based PDA set to make its big splash after months of ...

Example sentence(s):
  • ... reported to be accidentally lost in pubs, and bits of news are trickling in on the new features of the upcoming iPhone.
  • Inevitably in time for IBC the news are trickling in and if I hadn't better ...
Ana Vozone
Local time: 11:58
Does not meet criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
was few and far between


Explanation:
for the 214 million .... good news was few and far between
an idiomatic expression

few and far between | Definition, meaning & more | Collins Dictionary
www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/few-and-far-be...
phrase Things that are few and far between are very rare or do not happen very often. [emphasis] ⇒ Successful women politicians are few and far between.

CS's review of When Will There Be Good News? - Goodreads
www.goodreads.com/review/show/41820195
Jan 4, 2009 - A very appropriately titled book, as good news was few and far between for most of the characters.I loved the previous Jackson Brodie book by ...
The Week That Solar Was Left for Dead | Seeking Alpha
seekingalpha.com › Investing Ideas › Technology
Nov 24, 2008 - The good news was few and far between. What stuck out most to me was the (all too familiar) vigorous selling that followed LDK's earnings ...
Executives to forgo incentives following dismal IBM Q4 results ...
www.businesscloudnews.com/.../executives-to-forgo-incentive...
Jan 22, 2014 - ... cloud business and modest growth in business analytics, a massive investment area for IBM, good news was few and far between.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2016-09-15 21:28:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I posted this first and then read Charles's answer (promise!). It does seem to be used with news quite frequently.

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 08:58
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
Grading comment
I think this is what we would say in the UK, thank you very much.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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