Archive for the year 2008
Portuguese Parliament Adopts Brazilian Spelling Posted by Transparent Language on May 18, 2008
On Friday, the Portuguese Parliament passed a law that adopts the Brazilian form of ortografia (spelling) of hundreds of words. The move is a small part of a movement to unify the Portuguese language in the eight countries where Portuguese is spoken. But the move is not exactly popular in Portugal. Over 33,000 people signed…
BBC Special: Amazon Day Posted by Transparent Language on May 15, 2008
The BBC did a special today on the Amazon. Here are some of the highlights: An excellent graphics page, showing rates of deforestation A comprehensive “Amazon by Country” section A full-length feature article by Fergus Nicoll called “Seeking an Amazon Solution” A question and answer section about the current and future situation of the Amazon…
“No Smoking” Law Finally Arrives in Rio Posted by Transparent Language on May 14, 2008
After smoking was banned in bars, restaurants, and clubs in major U.S., European, and some Latin American cities, the city government of Rio de Janeiro has finally caught on. The law, which goes into effect this month, prohibits smoking in enclosed spaces, both private and public. This means not only bars, clubs, and restaurants, but…
Brazilian Profile: Dona Lily Posted by Transparent Language on May 13, 2008
Lily Marinho de Carvalho, known as Dona Lily, is actually a naturalized Brazilian, meaning she wasn’t born in Brazil. Born in Germany, her father was British and her mother was French. She grew up in Paris, where she went on to become “Miss Paris” as a teenager. But when she was just 18, Lily…
In the news: Surgery gone wrong Posted by Transparent Language on May 12, 2008
Globo reported this past week on a woman in São Paulo state who discovered a 15 centimeter pinça (tweezers) floating around in her abdomen for 25 years. After having terrible stomach pain for a quarter of a century, she finally had the appropriate tests done and surmised that the instrument had been left by a…
Naturalidades: Part V Posted by Transparent Language on May 11, 2008
Today we’re going to do the last part of our lesson on naturalidades, which determine exactly where a person is from in Brazil: either the city or the state. These are written in lower case, as opposed to in English, in which we use upper case, as in Hawaiian or Alaskan. Let’s look at…
Experience the Amazon in New York City Posted by Transparent Language on May 8, 2008
From April 27 – July 13th, you can experience the Amazon in the heart of New York City. Called Amazônia Brasil, the 13,000 square foot exhibit features videos, photos, demonstrations and art about the customs and habits of indigenous groups in the Amazon, workshops and forums on environmental preservation and sustainable development, and a market…