All the country stopped; and couldn't believe he has passed away

Millôr Fernandes, Brazilian humorist genius, has resurrected in an amazing scale, flooding the pages of every publication, as his death causes such reaction. He must be laughing, if this is not offensive to say of someone who did not believe in immortality.

Chico Anysio incited similar fuss for the same reason; he is on every weekly magazine's cover, for he was a humorist of TV and, therefore, more popular. But Millôr took up the noble pages.

We picked 25 of Millôr's most quoted aphorisms, all originally in Portuguese, and dared to translate them into English. This is not a minor challenge, for several of such sayings show puns.
Such compilation, below, makes up our way of paying tribute to a man who I admired especially for his firm, lifetime decision to face the 'crocodiles' no matter what. And did that producing 'rios de letras em brasa' (rivers of fiery letters), so being an eternal icon for, also, the Portuguese title of this blog.

MILLÕR FERNANDES BILINGUAL APHORISMS NOTEBOOK

by Mariangela Pedro 1.04.2012

1.

Não há problema tão grande que não caiba no dia seguine. Morrer, por exembplo, é uma coisa que se deve deixar sempre pra depois.

There isn't an issue so big that wouldn't fit in the foolowing day. Dying, for instance, is something one should always leave for afterwards.

2.

Todo homem nasce original e more plágio.

Every man is born an original and dies a fake.

3.
A diferença entre existir e viver é mais ou menos dez salários mínimos.

The difference between being alie and living is more or less ten minimum wages.

4.
Uma coisa eu lhe garante, amigo - o seu complexo de inferioridade não é inferior ao de nnguém.

This I can assure you, my friend - your inferiority complex is not more inferior than anybody else's.

5.
A experança é a última que mata.

Hope is the last to kill.

6.
O otimista não sabe o que o espera.

The optimist doesn't know what is in stock for him.

7.
A vida seria muito melhor se não fosse diária.
Life would be much better if it weren't daily.

8.
Só os imbecis acham que o sexo é um ato físico.
Only the silly believe sex is a physical act.

9.

Amor não é coisa para amador. PUN
Deep-love in the flesh in not for the fresh. (My solution, by taking 'flesh' and 'fresh', keeping most of the original meaning.)

10.
De todas as taras sexuais, não existe nenhuma mais estranha do que a abstinência.
Out of all the sexual deviations, there is no one stranger than abstinence.

To continue