The picture shows an advertisement for coffee in a bar-restaurant in Barcelona (Pg. de Gràcia / València). The Catalan says Cuida’t amb el nostre cappucino (Spanish Cuídate con nuestro cappucino). Fair enough, but the translation doesn’t work. It’s not an easy translation; if I were doing it – and I do do translation work for advertising – I would probably go for a free version: Treat yourself to our cappuccino. In any event, a more literal translation would be something like Look after yourself or even Take care of yourself, which might be too long for the available space. But the translation that has been published is simply wrong. The English word care has two meanings (COED):
1 the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something…
2 serious attention or consideration applied to an action or plan. a feeling of or occasion for anxiety.
and it is the second, the idea of precaution, that is expressed in take care (COED again):
take care 1 be cautious; keep oneself safe.
So Take care with our cappuccino is not a proper translation of the original. In fact, it means Alerta al nostre cappuccino! or ¡Cuidado con nuestro cappuccino!
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