"O maior produtor de maçã do Brasil mora aqui."

Translation: The largest apple producer in Brazil lives here.

[Davu]

Is there a rule for deciding the best way to parse this kind of sentence that has a "de ... de ..." structure?

In English I can imagine two sentences "The largest apple producer in Brazil lives here" (accepted and what I put) or "The largest producer of Brazilian apples lives here" which I'm not sure works.

Also, another question, does "mora == lives" work here? If they are talking about a company rather than a person there must be a better word. If they are really talking about a person then he or she must be very tall, fat or both.

[Paulenrique]

"Morar" is more colloquial, used more often than "viver" (onde você mora? - moro na Alemanha.) The sentence you quoted would be "o maior produtor DE maças brasileiras (or "maça brasileira") mora/vive aqui." Now, if it was related to a company we'd probably say: "a maior empresa produtora de suco(s) de maça (apple juice) fica/é aqui" (better to use "ficar")

[GScottOliver]

On the second point, I was thinking that Brazil must not have very large apple producers if the biggest one is run by a single person. That is, no corporations, just family orchards. ;)
Timor mortis conturbat me.

[Gibil]

"The largest producer of apples in Brazil lives here" would be correct; the singular 'apple' does not work in this sentence.

[Davu]

Aren't "apple producer" and "producer of apples" synonyms? If you don't like the term "apple producer" that's fine but I can't see any reason why it's wrong. Ford is a producer of cars but many sources refer to the company as a car producer.

[Gibil]

Sure. But by the same token it wouldn't be 'producer of apple' or 'apples producer'.

[Davu]

Oh sorry, when you said the singular "apple" does not work in this sentence I thought you meant the English one because you supplied an alternative English sentence that uses "apples" instead. I believe "maça" can be reasonably translated as "apples" here.

[ka7th]

Could you not also say? "The largest producer of Brazilian apples lives here"

[Davu]

That was my question too (see earlier in the discussion) and it was answered by Paulenrique (although he probably meant to say "aqui" rather than "no Brasil").

[Paulenrique]

ooops!! fixed =)

[2dwight]

While I agree "apple producer" and "producer of apples" would be standard English for businessmen, in a farming community we would more likely use grow not produce.