los pomos del recuerdo

English translation: well of memories

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	los pomos del recuerdo
English translation:	well of memories
Entered by:	JaneTranslates

00:27 Mar 20, 2007

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / memoirs

Spanish term or phrase: los pomos del recuerdo

Context:

El distinguido profesor compueblano, xxxx, se entregó con ahínco y perseverancia a hurgar en los **pomos del recuerdo,** que siempre conservan la esencia de aquello que un un momento dado sustentó la fe, la esperanza, tanto en el alma individual como en la colectiva;

The sentence isn't over yet, but you get the idea. This is the epilogue to a book that is somewhat of a personal history as well as a history of an industry (china dinnerware manufactured in Puerto Rico 1949-1977). The author of the book is the "distinguido profesor" but this epilogue is by another author, a "man of letters" who brought out all the flowers and molasses he could find in a desire to do justice to the project.

Please help me! At this stage, all I can come up with for the "pomos del recuerdo" is Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve...

JaneTranslates KudoZ activity Questions: 152 (none open) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 505 Puerto Rico
Local time: 15:30

well of memories

Explanation:
Esto sería una opción. Seguro que te darán más.

PD: Tu "Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve" me ha hecho gracia... ¡Ya queda poco para el último libro!

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Note added at 10 mins (2007-03-20 00:37:56 GMT)
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el verbo podría ser: look down into the well of memories.

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Note added at 38 mins (2007-03-20 01:05:42 GMT)
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Creo que tmb es posible, más activo que "look down into" y por lo tanto da la idea de estar buscando más que mirando.

Tmb he pensado en "draw from the well...", "fish from the well...", "retrieve from the well..." o "pull from the well..." A ver q te parecen.

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Note added at 3 days19 hrs (2007-03-23 19:55:16 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you Jane.

Selected response from:

Aïda Garcia Pons
United States
Local time: 12:30

Grading comment

I liked this one best; so did my client and my project manager. Thank you very much!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +1

(delve into) the depths of memory

tazdog (X)

the threshold of memories

Thais Maria Lips

(to sink) into the wells of time

garci

well of memories

Aïda Garcia Pons

the healing unguents of memory

Robert Forstag

Answers

1 hr confidence:

the threshold of memories

Explanation:
It is a metaphor, but it needs to follow the idea of the author.

Thais Maria Lips
United States
Local time: 15:30
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Portuguese,

English
PRO pts in category: 16

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Thais. I learned, to my surprise, that a pomo can, indeed, be a doorknob; but I don't think that idea fits as well here. I appreciate your contribution.

6 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

(delve into) the depths of memory

Explanation:
I am sort of wondering if maybe that shouldn't be "pozos", which would make more sense--that may be what Aida was thinking, too, with "well".

Even if it is "pomos", I think you'd get the same idea across with "delve into the depths of memory".

tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 21:30
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 52

Notes to answerer

Asker: I think "pomos" is right, but I still like "well." Your suggestion would work, too, but I wanted to keep the idea of a container. Thanks for you help, Cindy.

Asker: Sorry, should be "your" help. Gack. That's the kind of week it has been. Jane

7 hrs confidence:

(to sink) into the wells of time

Explanation:
Other options:

"Walk through Memory Lane" Very American
"Dig trhough the boxes of memory"

Creo que ya tienes varias opciones. Suerte, Jane !

garci
Local time: 13:30
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Good options. Thanks for your suggestions and your good wishes, Garci.

1 hr confidence:

the healing unguents of memory

Explanation:
I would suggest "balm" or "salve", but the context seems to demand a plural and neither of these choices would really work in the plural. I therefore offer unguents, which accurately conveys the meaning of pomos while preserving the highly formal register of the original.

Suerte.

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Note added at 1 hr (2007-03-20 01:35:38 GMT)
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OR, somewhat more poetically:

"to delving into the frankincense and myrrh of times past"

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Note added at 16 hrs (2007-03-20 16:43:21 GMT)
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In response to Cindy's comment, it strikes me that "pomos" is intended and that, given the text that follows, the teacher in question sees "memory" or "the past" as something "healing" or "comforting", a sense that would be lost were you to use a translation like "delve into the depths of memory".

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 15:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 195

Notes to answerer

Asker: Robert, your reasoning was very tempting. I particularly liked the "frankincense and myrrh," which would have fit beautifully with the style! However, my native Puerto Rican colleagues all tell me that "pomo," in PR, means a container. (My Mexican husband, however, immediately responded with "pomada.") So, thank you very much for your thoughtful contribution, though I've decided to go with "well."

6 mins confidence:

well of memories

Aïda Garcia Pons
United States
Local time: 12:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Catalan,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 11

Grading comment

I liked this one best; so did my client and my project manager. Thank you very much!

Notes to answerer

Asker: ¿Qué te parece "peer" como el verbo?

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