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Il ne faut jamais freiner.
You must never brake.
–Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel Poiccard/Laszlo Kovacs in À bout de souffle (1960)

Filed Under: Films/Television, Miscellania Tagged With: Godard, philosophy

Epenthesis NOW!!! Or, What a Difference a “schwa” Makes

July 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

Anaptyxis On Blackboard

A case of anaptyxis, that is, vowel epenthesis, in contemporary English: how and possibly why some public speakers add an additional syllable to words like “doubling, athlete, paraplegic.”

Filed Under: Language Tagged With: English

Tous les matins d’été sur les plages ont l’air d’être les premiers du monde. Tous les soirs d’été prennent un visage de solennelle fin du monde.

All summer mornings on the beach seem like the first in the world. All summer evenings take on the appearance of a solemn end of the world. –Albert Camus, Carnets 1932-1948

Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: Albert Camus, life, philosophy

I’m in the Mood for the Subjunctive

April 25, 2020 2 Comments

Subjuntive On Blackboard

An overview of how the French subjunctive mood is treated on this website, including both the basics and  the more curious forms and functions of this mood.

Filed Under: Language Tagged With: Learn to read French

…la beauté est insupportable. Elle nous désespère, éternité d’une minute que nous voudrions pourtant étirer le long du temps.

Beauty is unbearable. It leads us to despair, being the eternity of a minute that we would nevertheless like to stretch out for all time.

–Camus, Carnets 1932-1948

Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: Albert Camus, life, philosophy

Spotlight on Marie de France

March 24, 2020 Leave a Comment

Marie De France Writing Full Image

Bisclavret, Marie de France’s fast-paced tale of twelfth-century love and lycanthropy, gets a new presentation and translation in a recently added text file.

Filed Under: Language, Literature, What's New Tagged With: celtic, fantasy, horror, medieval

Never give up. Never surrender.

Ne jamais céder. Ne jamais se rendre. –Galaxy Quest

Filed Under: Films/Television Tagged With: life

New (and Upcoming) Changes at MadBeppo

August 15, 2019 Leave a Comment

Timely update about changes to MadBeppo that have been accumulating over the past three years: a redesigned home page, many new authors and texts, more fascinating language files, and glorious original illustrations added to selected pages!

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: French

Le prophète est celui qui s’oppose à ce que le moyen devienne fin, à ce que la forme extérieure soit cherchée et servie pour elle-même.

The prophet is a person opposed to the means becoming an end, to the exterior form’s being sought for and served for its own sake. –Yves Congar, Vraie et fausse réforme dans l’Eglise (p201)

Filed Under: Religion

Test Your Omniscience!

October 14, 2017 3 Comments

St Bernard Of Clairvaux Stained Glass Window

Sample final exam questions, of a truly apocalyptic quality, proposed for an unnamed secondary institution, but that was a leading preparatory school in the area where the Professor used to live and work and have his being.

Filed Under: Miscellania Tagged With: silly

What were you thinking when you squeezed the life out of him? Did you think you were G O D, BRANDON?!

A quoi songeais-tu pendant que tu lui retirais la vie? Te prenais-tu pour D I E U, BRANDON?!
–Rupert (Jimmy Stewart) to Brandon (John Dall) in Rope (1948)

Filed Under: Films/Television Tagged With: French, silly

Mark’s Adventures Underground Part 2

July 17, 2017 5 Comments

Jules Vernes Explorers And Mike

The concluding, actually underground part of this two-part series.

Filed Under: Things Seen

A little less noise there, a little less noise!

Un peu moins de bruit, là, s’il vous plaît!
– Mr. Darling to the Darling children (1911)

Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: featured, life

Mark’s Adventures Underground Part 1

July 11, 2017 5 Comments

Mike Bench Dinosaur Drumheller

The tale of Mark’s journeys continues. His descent to the underground and what he found there.

Filed Under: Things Seen

Go ahead and look! I hope you LIKE what you see!!!
Eh bien! vas-y, regarde, puisque tu y tiens. J’espère que la vue te plaira!
– Brandon (John Dall) to Rupert (Jimmy Stewart) in Rope (1948)

Filed Under: Films/Television Tagged With: featured, French, silly

French Subtitles Come to Scientific Method

March 24, 2017 Leave a Comment

Scientific Method Logo

The animated internet series Scientific Method will soon have closed captioning in English, and selected episodes, such as the very first one (“Ignorance Isn’t Bliss”) will have subtitles in French!

Filed Under: Films/Television, Language Tagged With: Scientific Method

Tous hommes n’ont pas bon sens rassis.
Not all folks have good settled sense.– François Villon (1461)

Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: featured, French, life

A Request Addressed to Experts in the Thought of René Girard

February 9, 2017 2 Comments

Rene Girard

The Professor admits to his decades-long fascination with René Girard (the thinker, not the footballer) and asks for help interpreting two episodes from the Christian scriptures.

Filed Under: Religion Tagged With: bible

Consider what a great girl you are. Consider anything, only don’t cry!

Réfléchissez à quelle grande fille vous êtes. Réfléchissez à n’importe quoi, mais ne pleurez pas!
– the White Queen (1871)

Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: featured, surrealism

Mark in the Bee-Hive State Part 5: Happy Returns

June 28, 2016 4 Comments

Closer View Of Mark Sitting On Fence

‘Mark’, with the help of friends, triumphantly concludes his journey of spiritual exploration.

Filed Under: Religion, Things Seen

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Favorite Quotations

  • Brandon to Rupert (Rope)

    Go ahead and look! I hope you LIKE what you see!!! Eh bien! vas-y, regarde, puisque tu y tiens. J’espère que la vue te plaira! – Brandon (John Dall) to Rupert (Jimmy Stewart) in Rope (1948)

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