alto voltage

English translation: was a potential minefield / was fraught with potential danger

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:fue de alto voltage
English translation:was a potential minefield / was fraught with potential danger
Entered by: Robert Forstag

16:13 May 17, 2017
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Journalism / Article in today\'s edition of *El País*
Spanish term or phrase: alto voltage
La reunión el pasado miércoles en la Casa Blanca fue de alto voltaje. Se celebró al día siguiente del despido de Comey y tenía como protagonistas a dos personajes que levantan ampollas en los servicios de inteligencia: el canciller Sergéi Lavrov y el embajador.

I assume that the reference here is to the highly sensitive and potentially dangerous nature of the meeting in question (in this case, Trump's meeting with Russian officials last week in which he revealed classified intelligence information).


But I do not think that "high voltage" works in English.

How about translating the whole sentence in one of the following ways?

Last week's meeting at the White House was fraught with potential danger.

...was a potential minefield.

I am intersted in others' thoughts here.
Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 09:19
minefield, tensions ran high
Explanation:
Hi Robert, I like your translation. I might phrase it as something like "Participants of last Wednesday's meeting at the White House were walking into / entering (something of) a political minefield..."; "the meeting had all the makings of a political minefield..."

"the meeting was a veritable minefield"; "participants faced/walked into a veritable minefield"

Or, tensions ran high at the meeting... tensions were running high...
Selected response from:

12316323 (X)
Local time: 08:19
Grading comment
I am convinced that “alto voltaje” here refers to the potential dangers attendant on the meeting between Trump and the Russian representatives (a danger so palpable, that it is being compared to the perils of a high voltage electrical installation).
I do not think that the source text is making any reference to the tensions within the meeting itself , or to its importance. And, in fact, nothing from the news reports of the encounter suggest that there was any particular tension between the principals involved. Quite the contrary.
Thanks to all who responded to and commented upon this query.


4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5charged
philgoddard
3 +2minefield, tensions ran high
12316323 (X)
4touch and go (in thsi particular case)
neilmac
4was a tense affair
Neil Ashby
3[the partcipants in the meeting were] high-stakes players
Muriel Vasconcellos


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
alto voltaje
charged


Explanation:
I actually think "high voltage" would work. But if you disagree, how about this?

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Note added at 12 mins (2017-05-17 16:26:45 GMT)
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It's "voltaje".

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cecilia Gowar: I was going to say "highly charged".
7 mins

agree  12316323 (X): I also like (highly) charged atmosphere. However, personally I wouldn't say/write "high voltage."
13 mins

agree  Neil Ashby: "highly charged" immediately came to my mind as well.
16 hrs

agree  Heather Oland: Another vote for "highly charged"
1 day 4 hrs

agree  Robert Carter: And another...
1 day 7 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
minefield, tensions ran high


Explanation:
Hi Robert, I like your translation. I might phrase it as something like "Participants of last Wednesday's meeting at the White House were walking into / entering (something of) a political minefield..."; "the meeting had all the makings of a political minefield..."

"the meeting was a veritable minefield"; "participants faced/walked into a veritable minefield"

Or, tensions ran high at the meeting... tensions were running high...

12316323 (X)
Local time: 08:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I am convinced that “alto voltaje” here refers to the potential dangers attendant on the meeting between Trump and the Russian representatives (a danger so palpable, that it is being compared to the perils of a high voltage electrical installation).
I do not think that the source text is making any reference to the tensions within the meeting itself , or to its importance. And, in fact, nothing from the news reports of the encounter suggest that there was any particular tension between the principals involved. Quite the contrary.
Thanks to all who responded to and commented upon this query.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos: I like "all the makings of a political minefield" - but as Robert has pointed out, the meeting itself was cordial
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Muriel. Well, it could always be something like "tensions were running high before the meeting"... to communicate that the atmosphere was tense/charged, even if it turned out to be all smiles and niceties :)

agree  Neil Ashby: Just noticed your comments to Muriel "atmos. was tense" - I agree with that but not "tensions ran high/were running high before the meeting" which suggests they argued, shouted, lost control/their tempers, etc. whereas the source doesn't exactly say that.
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Neil. I don't think it has to mean direct tensions between the two parties. It's the prevailing political mood/climate surrounding the meeting.
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
touch and go (in thsi particular case)


Explanation:
This might achieve the desired effect. "Touch and go" means a risky, precarious or delicate case or state of things - such that the slightest change could prove disastrous.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2017-05-17 20:06:23 GMT)
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Oops, "this", not thsi...

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Note added at 3 hrs (2017-05-17 20:07:31 GMT)
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Another option could be "ticklish": 2.
(of a situation or problem) difficult or tricky and requiring careful handling.
"her skill in evading ticklish questions"
synonyms: problematic, tricky, delicate, sensitive, controversial, awkward, prickly, thorny;


    Reference: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/touch-and-go.html
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
was a tense affair


Explanation:
Another expression commonly used to describe such a situation.

Neil Ashby
Spain
Local time: 15:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
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18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
[the partcipants in the meeting were] high-stakes players


Explanation:
Another interpretation came to me as I thought about it.

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 06:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52
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