leer/hacer baños

English translation: see note

04:30 Feb 13, 2003
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Esoteric practices
Spanish term or phrase: leer/hacer baños
This is from a Colombian statement by a defendant in a criminal case.
Conozco a la señora Raquel, la he tratado hace 4 años, ella iba al almacen a hacer riegos y a leer baños, le leía las cartas a las empleadas, inclusive a Rafael también le hacía baños.
Jeanne Zang
United States
Local time: 10:54
English translation:see note
Explanation:
I found a web site that may help you. Its title is "Los neochamanismos Urbanos en Manizales y en la zona cafetera de los Andes Colombianos. Entre la brujería y el chamanismo. Antecedentes y primeras búsquedas," and it mentions baños and riegos, and lists a whole lot of things that are "read." Here are some pertinent extracts:

Hace limpiezas con plumas, sacraliza el sexo para orientar fecundar hijos de la luz, utilizando técnica de respiración para conducir el orgasmo pleno en todo el cuerpo. Igualmente orienta ***baños*** para superar conflictos de las personas....

Es una especie de brujo que hace prácticas médicas a través de ritos y ***baños*** a base de hierbas, que según ellos, pueden curar cualquier tipo de mal.


I found these next ones in the source code, because I couldn’t find them on the page itself:


Hacer ***riegos***, rezos, conjuros, ritos, ramas, bebidas. Bautizan monedas, rezan carros, ***baños*** para el empleo, trabajos para atraer, regresar, amarrar; arreglar al ser querido, atraer maridos

***Leer*** cartas, naipe, cigarrillo, tabaco, chocolate, tarot, uñas, bola de cristal; la mano. Adivinar la suerte, el futuro, el presente. [Averiguar sobre amor, salud, trabajo, muerte, suerte, problemas, necesidades]

http://www.etnopsico.org/textos/ronderos/3.htm

Based on the above, I'd say the translation is literal. Just like we'd say read tea leaves or palms, the person in your text apparently reads baths (can't imagine how) and also gives them. So maybe you could say "reads/interprets baths" and "gives/administers baths," or something like that.

Hope it helps.
Selected response from:

tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 15:54
Grading comment
Thanks! Like "Always Moving," I suspected it might be something like that, but my Google hits didn't come up with anything. Thanks for the references!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4see note
tazdog (X)
5help someone take a bath
María Eugenia Wachtendorff
1 +1Idea
AlwaysMoving


  

Answers


21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Idea


Explanation:
Ya que dice que le leia las cartas, seguramente que es lagun tipo de esoterismo, bños de aura, karma, etc.

AlwaysMoving
Local time: 22:54
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  María Eugenia Wachtendorff: Diste tu breve y acertada respuesta mientras yo daba una interpretación totalmente "na' q' ver", como dicen mis hijas... Y fíjate en el nivel de serguridad con que contestamos... Éste es un perfecto ejemplo de cómo los traductores podemos "meter la pata"
12 hrs
  -> no dicen algo asi que errar es de sabios?
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
help someone take a bath


Explanation:
I think "leer baños" is just an error in the original. Although in Spanish "hacer baños" sounds more like cleaning bathrooms, the context suggests that señora Raquel did chores (watering plants, helping sick people take baths) and read letters to illiterate maids.
HTH

María Eugenia Wachtendorff
Chile
Local time: 11:54
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
see note


Explanation:
I found a web site that may help you. Its title is "Los neochamanismos Urbanos en Manizales y en la zona cafetera de los Andes Colombianos. Entre la brujería y el chamanismo. Antecedentes y primeras búsquedas," and it mentions baños and riegos, and lists a whole lot of things that are "read." Here are some pertinent extracts:

Hace limpiezas con plumas, sacraliza el sexo para orientar fecundar hijos de la luz, utilizando técnica de respiración para conducir el orgasmo pleno en todo el cuerpo. Igualmente orienta ***baños*** para superar conflictos de las personas....

Es una especie de brujo que hace prácticas médicas a través de ritos y ***baños*** a base de hierbas, que según ellos, pueden curar cualquier tipo de mal.


I found these next ones in the source code, because I couldn’t find them on the page itself:


Hacer ***riegos***, rezos, conjuros, ritos, ramas, bebidas. Bautizan monedas, rezan carros, ***baños*** para el empleo, trabajos para atraer, regresar, amarrar; arreglar al ser querido, atraer maridos

***Leer*** cartas, naipe, cigarrillo, tabaco, chocolate, tarot, uñas, bola de cristal; la mano. Adivinar la suerte, el futuro, el presente. [Averiguar sobre amor, salud, trabajo, muerte, suerte, problemas, necesidades]

http://www.etnopsico.org/textos/ronderos/3.htm

Based on the above, I'd say the translation is literal. Just like we'd say read tea leaves or palms, the person in your text apparently reads baths (can't imagine how) and also gives them. So maybe you could say "reads/interprets baths" and "gives/administers baths," or something like that.

Hope it helps.


    Reference: http://www.etnopsico.org/textos/ronderos/3.htm
tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 15:54
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks! Like "Always Moving," I suspected it might be something like that, but my Google hits didn't come up with anything. Thanks for the references!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bonita Mc Donald: Absolutely (wow Cindy!)
1 hr
  -> pretty weird stuff... :-)

agree  Susana Galilea: uy, qué falta me harían a mí unos conjuritos...
1 hr
  -> well, now you know where to go :-)

agree  María Eugenia Wachtendorff: Cindy, creo que tú debes ser un poco bruja... Jamás se me habría cruzado por la mente algo así. ¡¡Te felicito!!
11 hrs
  -> I'm sure my son would agree with you... ;-)

agree  Beatriz Gallardo: Yo también te felicito Cindy, Amaizing!
12 hrs
  -> many thanks! :-)
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