Thursday, May 14, 2009

No French dictionary at the Guardian?

Monsieur Apache is again dismayed by bad French at the Guardian (see Laura Barton’s efforts with Deneuve, below).

A photo of a Trafigura ship full of toxic chemicals has the words “L’Europe intoxique L’Afrique” painted on its side by Greenpeace.

The Guardian thinks this means that Europe has been “intoxicating” Africa.

“Intoxiquer” in French means “to poison”.

It doesn’t mean you’re making them drunk.

(See 14 May, pages 12-13 – also for a marvellous account of how Trafigura’s lawyers have tried to stifle facts and comment.)

Well, down at the Coup de Poing, we think Trafigura did it.

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