English translation: Plaza of the reclining Ceiba (Sleeping)
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Spanish to English translations [PRO] Social Sciences - Tourism & Travel
Spanish term or phrase:Plaza de la Ceiba Acostada
Item in a list of "Lugares de interés" in an article about Lajas, Puerto Rico.
I intend to leave the name as given in the text, but provide a translation in parentheses. I made a little field trip to see it. According to a nearby plaque, it is a "ceiba centenaria" uprooted in Huracán San Felipe in 1928. It has put down roots at each end and is flourishing over a spring. There is a huge (several feet in diameter) horizontal trunk from which roots have grown down and branches have grown vertically. The town has built a lovely little handkerchief-sized passive park around it, with a footbridge, benches, a mosaic paved area, and the aforementioned plaque.
Please, my creative colleagues, help me come up with a succinct but poetic English name for this charming spot!
"Reclining"! Duh! Why didn't I think of that? It's exactly the word I needed. I love all the creative suggestions people gave, but this is both poetic and accurate as a translation, rather than a re-naming, of the original. Thanks so much, Silviantonia. I ended up using "Reclining Ceiba Tree Park." 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
And thanks to you, too, Jane - for being such a good 'asker'. I'm sure we all appreciate your own participation in this question, and your willingness to spend time 'thrashing about in the bush' with us.
A passive park has no bells and whistles--just a pleasant place to sit and enjoy. No tennis courts, roller coasters, barbecues, Little League teams or athletic equipment. It's the kind of place where one can actually sit and read a book--unless there's a big ol' ceiba tree shading the entire area!
Actually, it's not really a "plaza" or "town/public square," either. The park is much too small and secluded for that! I'm sticking with "ceiba," which is quite acceptable in English (though kapok is also possible, it's less euphonic, IMO). But I still need to express the "acostado" idea, or why would anyone think it was worth going to see? The name in Spanish intrigued me enough to get my husband to drive over to Lajas on a Sunday afternoon!
If it's not leaning, then I guess it would be "The Kapok Tree Plaza"
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Answers
3 mins confidence:
leaning ceiba
Explanation: How about that?
Carlos Vergara Local time: 03:04 Native speaker of: Spanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Actually, it is not "leaning." It is completely horizontal, with each end sending roots down. (One end shows the original roots that the hurricane yanked from the earth; the old roots stick out to the side, while "new" roots go down into the ground.
Asker: Thank you, Carlos. It's a nice solution, just doesn't happen to fit the facts. ¡Saludos y gracias!
Explanation: I think you need to say Ceiba Tree in English or you might as well not translate it since most people wouldn't know a ceiba was a tree. I think you could get away with leaving it as plaza though, it sounds better than square and would, I assume, be understood by most visitors to Puerto Rico.
Lucy Phillips Local time: 09:04 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: You're absolutely right about including "tree." Thanks for the suggestion. I agree about "plaza," too, especially since this placita is definitely not square in shape. But I ended up using "park." Thanks for your good ideas, Lucy.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +4
