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Spanish to English translations [PRO] Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase:ojo de huracán
Granada tras la conquista de la ciudad en 1492 a los musulmanes se constituiría en un auténtico ***ojo de huracán*** simbólico y social, cuyas consecuencias llegan hasta el día de hoy
Please let's not forget that the metaphorical use of "eye of the storm" or "eye of the hurricane" means a centre of temporary calmness, while in Spanish, ojo del huracan means exactly the opposite, "Centro de una situación polémica o conflictiva" [thank you Simon]. So it is not a question of debating wether eye of the hurricane fits or not, it is a question of finding an idiom or a metaphor that implies the centre of a conflictive situation. And the context implies clearly conflict in Granada itself, not clalm in Granada and havoc elsewhere. So far, I am warming up to the idea of Simon about hot spot...
Thank you all. Here is more context but I am not sure this is going to help:
La obra Granada la bella del escritor autóctono Ángel Ganivet, publicada a finales del siglo XIX, es la expresión más acabada de una suerte de “urbanismo espiritual” a la búsqueda de una explicación a su fuerte complejo de identidad (author, 2011). Una identidad que además es conflictual en la medida en que Granada tras la conquista de la ciudad en 1492 a los musulmanes se constituiría en un auténtico ojo de huracán simbólico y social, cuyas consecuencias llegan hasta el día de hoy, cuando hechos rituales significativos como la fiesta de la conquista de la ciudad en 1492 es tensionada cada año por colectivos políticos que están a favor o en contra de su celebración (author, 2005).
I would guess that the consequences are that the signs of the Moorish kings influence still live very strongly in Granada. All of its best known monuments are from this period and so are many traditions, and even words in modern Spanish usage.
Jesús, I think that it depends on the overall context of the text you are translating. If the text infers that historical events continued to evolve around its axis, it fits. If not, reference would work just fine, but the key here is the "cuyas consecuencias llegan"(what consequences?); you have to maintain sense and syntax when you link "point of reference" and "consequences".
Jenni, just wanted to check that "eye of the hurricane" is an appropriate collocation in English to be used in the context above with the meaning of "Granada would become the point of reference" with consequences...
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 min confidence: peer agreement (net): +6
eye of the hurrican
Explanation: same in English
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 mins (2011-09-12 15:54:33 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
hurricane!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 mins (2011-09-12 15:57:49 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
This expression in English is usually used to denote a center of relative calm around which turbulent action swirls. I believe that this would square with the history of Granada, as once it was captured there were still a lot of surrounding Moslem outposts that needed to be secured and Granada stood out as a reference for the success of the Reconquest.
Jenni Lukac Local time: 04:32 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 35
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you so much, Jenny, your answer was helpful as well in this micro debate. Sometimes I wish I could divide the points between poeople who have helped, even if not necessarily I end up using the term they propose.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +6
