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A few years ago a rumor spread among Brazilian websites: An American textbook used by young children showed the Amazon region as an International Reservation, taking territory from Brazil and other countries.
The media went crazy, and soon a website produced a copy of the “textbook”. It was real, see? Never mind it´s a crackpot right-wing ultranationalist website.
Congressmen made speeches demanding action, the Exterior Relations Ministry called U.S. State Department, Brazil´s top military think tank talked ad nauseam about the case…
And I received a copy of that crap.
From a friend, not only fluent in English, but a professional translator.
I asked her if there wasn´t anything wrong with the text.
“No, of course not, it´s clear, don´t you see what they [the Evil Americans™] want?”
“Beth, this piece of crap was NOT wrote by anyone with a basic knowledge of english.”
Of course she never believed me. Neither did the tons of people who STILL send the story by mail.
I reply with a link to my blog where I debunk the story, but people still want to believe.
Frack, even when I show that it´s a right-sided page with an even-number they still buy it.
The “author” (David Norman) has books at Amazon (no pun intended) about Dinosaurs. No “An Introduction to Geography” book exists.
The pictures have different resolutions and no captions. It´s a damn textbook, not a Playboy pictorial!
The whole text is a masterpiece from the pen of an English Lord, Lord Greystoke. It´s clear, not even machine-based, but word-by-word translation, NOBODY with a basic knowledge of english should be fooled, but major newspapers published the story as fact.
Some published corrections, others never bothered.
Here´s the original text from the “textbook” page.
3.5.-5 - THE FORMER INT´L RESERVE OF AMAZON FOREST
Since the middle 80´s the most important rain forest in the world was passed to the responsability of the United States and the United Nations. It is named as FINRAF (Former International Reserve of Amazon Forest) and its foundation was due to the fact the Amazon is located in South America, one of the poorest regions on earth and surrounded by irresponsible, cruel and authoritary countries.
It was part of eight different and strange countries, wich are in the majorit of cases, kingdoms of violence, drug trade, illiteracy and a unintelligent and primitive people.
The creation of FINRAF were supported by all nations of G-23 and was really a special mission of our country and a gift of all the world, since the possession of these valuable lands to such people should condemn the lungs of the world to disappearance and full destroying in few years.
We can consider that this has the most biodiversity in the planet, with a vast number of species of all types of animals and vegetals. The value of this area is unable to calcule, but the planet can be cert that the United States of America won´t let these Latin American countries explorate and destroy this real ownership of all humanity.
FINRAF is like an international park, with very severe rules of exploration.
[map caption]
We can see the location of the International Reserve. It took area of eight South American countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and F.Guyana; Some of the poorest and miserable countries of the world.
I, an American, received this several years back by email. I pointed out the mistakes easily in the text. One thing that stared out at me was the number 3.000
I have never seen an American write the number that way- we write it as 3,000. There were many obvious grammatical errors.
Comment by Adam — January 17, 2007 @ 12:31 pm