I need help understanding 'borrando lo impreso'

Question

From the book Memorias del olvido

Parada frente a la mancha negra en la bañera, me pregunto otra vez el significado de me obsesión con la limpieza. El agua continúa borrando lo impreso y yo allí, desnuda, con los ojos fijos trato de encontrar esa esponja azul que odio tanto.

Since I'm standing in front of a bathtub, what is being erased or cleared? Would it be the black spot in the tub? What else could be 'printed' that could be erased by the water?

Answer 1

Parada frente a la mancha negra en la bañera, me pregunto otra vez el significado de me obsesión con la limpieza. El agua continúa borrando lo impreso y yo allí, desnuda, con los ojos fijos trato de encontrar esa esponja azul que odio tanto.

Standing in front of the black stain in the bathtub, I wonder again the significance of my obsession with cleaning. The water continues erasing the imprint and I'm there, naked, with my eyes fixated......trying to find that blue sponge that I hate so much.

It seems like the imprint is the stain. It seems like poetic license.

Thanks jeezzle, I do think you're right. The more I read it, the more it makes sense. - Jack-OBrien, JUN 28, 2010

If the person is obsessive then there is probably nothing there at all, they just see an imprint or a black stain and they can't stop cleaning. - jeezzle, JUN 28, 2010

Ahh, even more clear. I'm just not used to poetic license in Spanish :~) - Jack-OBrien, JUN 28, 2010

Answer 2

It all depends on the temperarature of the water

Answer 3

Wouldn't it be the "mancha negra" IE black stain. Sounds like the stuff that gets in the caulk lines inbetween the tiles.

But why wouldn't it say borrando la mancha negra? You're probably right, I just can't hook it up in my mind.

Answer 4

Wouldn't it be the "mancha negra" IE black stain. Sounds like the stuff that gets in the caulk lines inbetween the tiles.