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Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

acqua fresca

English translation:

palliative

Added to glossary by Katharine Prucha
Jan 3, 2012 08:52
12 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Italian term

acqua fresca

Italian to English Other Medical (general)
I am working on a text on homeopathy, specifically the Law of Similars. I'm looking for suggestions on the best way to express the idea of "acqua fresca" (la legge dei simili è soltanto acqua fresca" (in the sense that it is not effective). I think that "quackery" is a bit too strong but I can't come up with the "perfect" word in English.
Can anyone help?
Thanks!
Proposed translations (English)
3 palliative
5 +3 placebo
4 +2 snake oil
4 sugar pill
4 worthless piece of paper
3 placebo
3 pure fantasy / pure illusion
References
http://forum.psychlinks.ca/alternative-m...
Change log

Jan 3, 2012 09:02: Daniel Frisano changed "Language pair" from "English to Italian" to "Italian to English"

Discussion

Katharine Prucha (asker) Jan 14, 2012:
Hello again The system prompted me again to select an answer, which I did, but I inadvertently selected the wrong one. Sorry for the confusion - I'll contact a moderator to try and get it cleared up. Thanks for your patience!
Cristina Munari Jan 9, 2012:
Thank you Katharine for using my suggestion!
You should select an answer and close the question or leave it to the community to select the most appropriate answer based on peer agreement, but you usually indicate this beforehand.
Katharine Prucha (asker) Jan 9, 2012:
Many thanks to all of you for your input! In the end I used Cristina's suggestion to come up with my answer because it seemed more appropriate when talking about a law - the other suggestions would be perfect (and I might end up using them as well) when talking about a remedy or medicine. Again, thanks all.
Katharine Prucha (asker) Jan 5, 2012:
Not in this case.
zerlina Jan 4, 2012:
Si parla pure della 'memoria dell'acqua'?
philgoddard Jan 4, 2012:
In that case, I think "placebo", and "snake oil" is too strong.
Katharine Prucha (asker) Jan 4, 2012:
Good point! I can't give you much more context, but the overall tone of the article is pro homeopathy, in fact defending it and explaining it to those who still consider it "acqua fresca". The author hopes to change their mind by the end of the text.
zerlina Jan 3, 2012:
in effetti c'è un'ambiguità, molti considerano la teoria dell'omeopatia' acqua fresca' intendendo non valida, ma la sostanza dopo le infinite diluzioni è pure 'clean water' o 'clear water'.
philgoddard Jan 3, 2012:
Could this be a play on words? The theory of homoeopathy is that the active ingredients are supposedly diluted to an infinitely small amount in water, so that they're undetectable.
Either way, I think we need more context. What does it say before and after this, and what is the overall tone of the article?

Proposed translations

7 mins
Selected

palliative

.

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Note added at 33 min (2012-01-03 09:26:09 GMT)
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acqua fresca
• Fig.: si dice di qualsiasi sostanza che dovrebbe avere una determinata azione e si rivela invece priva di efficacia. Si usa prevalentemente per i farmaci inutili, ma anche per bevande, minestre o simili particolarmente insipidi. Spesso spregiativo.
Note from asker:
Thank you Ivana!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+2
3 mins

snake oil

This could be it, although I admit that perhaps it is still a trifle too strong

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2012-01-03 09:04:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

(reversed it to IT>EN)
Note from asker:
Thank you Arrigo!
Peer comment(s):
agree Federica Pojaga : I agree with Arrigo, I have found this article which may be of help: http://news.change.org/stories/snake-oil-on-the-shelves-home...
10 mins
agree tradu-grace
19 mins
neutral philgoddard : We don't know the full context, but this is almost certainly too strong.
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
12 mins

placebo

Possibly?
Note from asker:
Thank you Isabelle!
Something went wrong...
+3
12 mins

placebo

This is what it means

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2012-01-03 09:05:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------


"Anche se i pareri sono discordi, secondo una ricerca, sono sempre di più i medici che decidono di prescrivere ai propri pazienti dei rimedi placebo, anziché farmaci veri e propri o, nel caso, riducono la posologia

Se funziona, perché no? Non ci sono effetti collaterali, è più sicuro e, magari, anche meno costoso. **È il cosiddetto placebo, o acqua fresca, che dir si voglia**


http://www.coachingemozionale.org/salute/sempre-piu-medici-p...

Note from asker:
Thank you Claudia!
Peer comment(s):
agree Shera Lyn Parpia : that's the idea.
2 hrs
thank you
agree liz askew
1 day 21 mins
thank you
agree philgoddard
1 day 4 hrs
thank you
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

sugar pill

Note from asker:
Thanks Shera Lyn!
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

worthless piece of paper

...is a worthless piece of paper
Note from asker:
Thanks Emiliano!
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

pure fantasy / pure illusion

Homeopathic drugs are considered by some as "fresh water", "snake oil", "sugar pills" (i.e., ineffective), but the theory of homeopathy - the Law of Similars - is considered pure fantasy / pure illusion / a lure.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 giorni (2012-01-12 19:40:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Katharine, that is strange, I hope that the moderator will solve the problem! Thank you!
Note from asker:
Thank you Cristina!
Hi Cristina, Actually I did close the question (assigning you the points) but for some reason the system keeps prompting me to close it. I've contacted a moderator about the problem. Hope it's resolved soon!
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

57 mins
Reference:

http://forum.psychlinks.ca/alternative-medicine-alternative-...

A couple of years ago, I re-posted an old article of mine about homeopathy discussing its ludicrous claims, its feeble attempts to provide a scientific explanation for those claims, and basically pointing out that no solid evidence has ever been found that infinitely diluted solutions of spurious ingredients have any more beneficial effect on a patient than a glass of fresh water.
Note from asker:
Thanks for the link, Liz!
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Cristina Munari
52 mins
Thank you! I remember seeing a programme on tv about homeopathy and the authors ridiculed this somewhat, from a scientific perspective...
Something went wrong...
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