warning

lzh just passed on this warning message to me via MSN. I have no idea how truthful or accurate it may be, so take it with a grain of salt. My past experience of messages passed around China via instant message leaves me sceptical. Anyway, here goes:

急件! 请大家告诉大家~~~~ �快速的传 !
>>这信� 今天早上得到的，�自 Microsoft 和 Norton。
>>请你将它�给你认识的�一�会接触国际互�网的人。
>>你有�能收到一�带有称为「生活是美好的 pps�的 Power Point 的演示文件。
>>如果你收到它，在任何环境下都� �打 开它，且立�删除它。
>如果你 打开了它，你的�幕上将会跳出一�消�：
>>「现在为时已晚，你的生活将� �美好�。
>>éš?之而æ?¥ï¼Œä½ ä¼šå¤±åŽ»ä¸ªäººè®¡ç®—机上的一切东西， 而那个å?‘信给你的人将获得你的姓å??ã€?电å­?邮件和密ç ?。
>>这 一个新的病毒，我们需�尽一切�能�阻止这�病毒 。
>>美国已�确认了它的�险性，而�毒软件� 能清除它。

>>& nbsp; 病毒 一ä½?自称 ” 生命拥有者 “的黑客客制造的。

Urgent dispatch! Please everybody tell everybody- pass it on fast!

This message from Microsoft and Norton arrived this morning. Please pass it on to everybody you know who can connect to the international internet. You could receive a message containing a Powerpoint document called “Life is happy”. If you receive it, do not under any circumstances open it, but delete it immediately. If you open it, a message will appear on your screen: “It’s already too late now, your life will never be happy again.” And then you will lose a few things from your PC, and the person who sent the message will get your name, email and passwords. We have to try our best to stop this new virus. America has already recognised its danger, but anti virus software can’t get rid of it. The virus was created by a hacker calling himself “Owner of Life”.

As always, the translation is dodgy, to say the least. I’m guessing that 演示文件 is some kind of technical term for things like powerpoint documents. I have no idea what the proper English term is. But I do have to thank lzh for clearing up a couple of bits that I just couldn’t get my head around.

Anyway, as I said, I have no idea how truthful or accurate this may be. I have seen nothing in the news or anywhere else about such a virus. Interesting how it seems to come from overseas (as always- go look at that post I linked to above). Why warn only those who have access to the international internet? Are those who somehow only have access to the Chinese domestic internet somehow immune or protected? Is there still anyone who can only access the Chinese domestic internet? Again, this should be taken with a grain of salt large enough to keep a northern Chinese chef in business for at least a month.