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El sector agro-mar-alimentario
ENGLISH SPOKEN
May 21, 2017 22:13
7 yrs ago
Spanish term

Pedro, laura la tierra

Spanish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
the name Laura (labrar) as a pun in the Costa Rican context

Las señoras del senectario lo miraban desde su silencio milenario con esa mezcla de sospecha y tolerancia que sólo llega con los años. Cuando comenzaban a dar muestras de dispersión o aburrimiento, el profeta iletrado reavivaba la conversación
-A ver, usté señora, ¿cómo se llama?
-Ana...
- ¡Ana!, qué nombre tan lindo, como Santa Ana, la madre de la Virgen.
-Y usté señora, ¿cómo se llama?
-María
- ¡María!, ven, María, como la madre de Dios.
-Y usté, señora, ¿cuál es su nombre?
-Elizabeth,
-¡Etisabé!
-iDoña Elizabeth!
-Doña Elisabet, perdón. Ven…,
eso... ehh, eso es tener un nombre propio, porqueeeee... un nombre propio es como cuando Dios le dijo a Adán que le pusiera un nombre propio a cada cosa... Ve, señora, usted tiene un nombre propio.
-Y a ústé, señora, ¿cómo me le puso el padre?
-Laura.
-¡Laura!, qué nombre tan lindo, y ¡usté sabe de dónde viene ese nombre tan lindo?
La viejita encogió los hombros.
-Laura viene de las palabras que el Señor
le dijo a Pedro: "Pedro, laura la tierra para
sembrar yo mi semilla..."
Proposed translations (English)
4 Peter, work/till the land/soil

Discussion

Heidi Newby-Rose May 22, 2017:
I'd say "baptise the soil"? Contains the idea of throwing water on (which is not urine). But it is certainly one of those place where you need to do something substantially different, like say: Laura means to sprinkle water on something, my child. It comes from the words our Lord spoke to St Peter:
"Peter, baptise the soil so that I can sow my seed."
An astute reader will make the connections.
12316323 (X) May 21, 2017:
Seems as good as anyone could get, Helena. Though I don't know if it's really ideal for this book to have every name localized...

Maybe it could remain as Laura, and the comment could instead be about the laurel plant, or a crown of laurel.
Helena Chavarria May 21, 2017:
I can only think of 'till' the soil and the name 'Tilly/Tillie', though I'm not very good with this sort of thing.

Proposed translations

10 hrs
Selected

Peter, work/till the land/soil

They mean "labrar" la tierra. (To work/till the soil/land/)



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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-05-22 08:32:51 GMT)
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Cf. labranza
De labrar.
1. f. Cultivo de los campos.
2. f. sementera (‖ tierra sembrada).
3. f. Hacienda de campo o tierras de labor.
4. f. Labor o trabajo de cualquier arte u oficio.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-05-22 08:36:32 GMT)
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http://cutpaste.typepad.com/understanding/2012/03/luke-8-til...

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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-05-22 08:39:02 GMT)
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http://biblehub.com/jeremiah/4-3.htm

People in the Bible were often being asked to prepare the soil (metaphorically) for the sowing of the seed (gospel). A naturally occurring metaphor in those days of widespread agricultural subsistence.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-05-22 08:40:22 GMT)
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NB: Urine is actually very good for the garden, a free and plentiful source of urea. However, I don't know if I would use "baptise" myself in the translation.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-05-22 08:58:02 GMT)
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http://bibliaparalela.com/james/5-7.htm

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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-05-22 08:58:10 GMT)
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CF:
http://dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?word=llaurador

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Note added at 16 hrs (2017-05-22 15:05:28 GMT)
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IMHO, the malapropism (laura/labra) emphasises the speaker's poor level of literacy.
Reference:

http://dle.rae.es/?id=Mk0fHqB

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