Active, passive and transitive middle.

I don't understand this heat in April. What do you say, will it be the greenhouse effect?
It's possible.
What do you think is the cause of global warming? I hear a lot of bullshit on tv: scientists blame pollution, cows, even plants. More than scientists, they seem like a bunch of idiots to me.
First of all it should be understood whether global warming exists. And then, even if there was, it is not certain that man is responsible: the dinosaurs became extinct long before we got to pollute the planet.
You say it could be a giant hype?
I'm not ruling it out.
But for what purpose? If it is to eliminate mankind I can understand it, after all we are like plant bugs: too many, intrusive and stinking. But the cows, the plants ...
Who knows.
Sorry, would you mind pretending to take me seriously? I am talking to you about the problems of the planet and you answer in monosyllables and yawn in my face.
Do I have to?
I'm afraid you'll have to do it very soon. Not from me, someone else will take care of it.
Someone else who?
You will see.
You already know how I think, boy: we will die buried in mountains of waste, but without getting out of the car and with a cigarette in our mouth.
In the meantime, start putting out your cigarette. What are you doing, are you crazy? Do you throw the butt in the grass? Your generation is without hope: and you complain about the young.
I'll throw it in the water, happy?
Not at all: you pollute me the river.
I pollute you the river?
The Latins also use something like it, don't they? The dative as it is called.
Ethical. And then, to be precise, this is not a river but a stream: today we are near the Orco.
I'm for maximum simplification. A thing where there is flowing water is called a river. Point.
Pearls of wisdom today: let's hear, say another.
A thing that has feathers and flies is called a bird. Simple and concise, right?
And a thing that walks on two legs and has little brain?
Chicken, of course.
Or?
Emmanuel?
Bravo, I see you are making progress.
I may be stupid, but you linguists have time to waste.
You're not stupid.
Even if I were, believe me, it would be the least of my problems. Give me that butt, I'll take care of it: I crumble it and bury it.
Are all your peers so boring? You should be a priest, a forest ranger, what do I know; except you're just trying to distract me.
Touché.
Open the book.
What page?
You know perfectly well. Read and translate.
Bìa ùn hòsper apò tòn Seirenòn...
No, stop: Seirènon, not Seirenòn.
Is it that important?
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's badly read Greek. You must scrupulously respect all accents, without exception: I do not compromise on this. Come on, start over. That's better, we're almost there. Now translate.
By doing violence to myself, therefore, I run away from him as if from sirens by covering my ears, to avoid growing old sitting next to him. So was Alcibiades in love with Socrates?
Go on.
...and I would often be happy to see him dead; but if this happened, I know well that I would suffer much more; so I no longer know what to do with this man.
In the text there is a predicative participle: do you recognize it?
Obviously not.
Then take the grammar, you have to review the participle. Not there, further to the right: you are laying down on it.
It is my unconscious desire to suppress it. Please, note that you have not answered my question.
You're boring, kid.
I boring? It is you who are insatiable: I have a crush on Catullus, I am starting to like even Plato, and all you find to say is that I am boring?
"Even" Plato. We're not quite there anyway, Emmanuel.
In what sense are we not there?
Look at yourself: does it seem normal to you to be sprawled out in the grass half naked while I try to teach you a lesson?
What's wrong with this position?
All. It is unprofessional.
Unprofessional?
And then you risk falling asleep if you continue to lie down.
Don't worry, the flies are helping me.
That's enough: get up and sit down composed, otherwise I'll go. And button your shirt.
Okay. I mean, all right. But what was Alcibiades like? I mean physically.
Very beautiful.
How do you know?
I know because everyone says it. Plutarch also says so in his biography.
Come on, why don't we do some philological gossip?
How stupid you are, Emmanuel.
I know, it's a natural gift. So what does Plutarch say?
He says he was the most handsome of the Athenians. He also says that he had a fluffy r, like the French you know, and walked with his head a little bent to the side.
Like this?
Don't play the fool. And then he says he drove men and women crazy.
Sounds cool.
More than cool I would say terrible. He was arrogant and violent: as a kid he beat his flute teacher and one day he even cut off his dog's tail.
About the teacher I do not pronounce, but the dog why?
So, for no serious reason. He wanted to be talked about and wished to distract people from his political intrigues.
This is not nice. Poor dog.
No, it is not.
How do you imagine it?
A snarling beast: he was a Molosser of a very rare breed.
Don't pretend to be stupid: I said Alcibiades.
He? Ricky Shayne type. Forget it, it's prehistoric times, you can't know him.
But I know him: one of the Mods. It may seem strange to you, but I have a certain musical culture. A little tamarro, but cool. Do you like vulgar types?
The abundance of physical means does not imply vulgarity.
Now that I think about it, he looks a bit like that Italian-French guy who was playing tennis yesterday with my brother... What's his name?
You mean Frédéric? However he is not Italian-French, he is of Swiss origin.
Yes, he is: Frédéric Bergamelli.
He is quite another type: apart from the physical means, he has class, style ...
You like him?
Could you send your dog to dig a little further? He filled my skirt with soil.
What are you doing professor, change the subject?
Well, come on, how can you not like Freddy?
Freddy? Are we already at this point? If I were in my brother's place I would slap you.
But luckily you're not in your brother's place.
Yeah, thankfully.
Shall we open the grammar, please?
My desire is gone. I'm going to take a bath with Tegame.
A bath in April? You are crazy.
Why? The stream is clean and it's hot. Come you too.
I don't have a bathing suit.
Me neither: is that a problem?
Indeed it is.
Oh sorry, professor.
Avoid easy ironies, please.
And you the false modesty.
Why false?
Come on, come and take a bath: I swear I'll keep my eyes closed.
We don't even talk about it.
I should have expected: you are old, professor.
Thanks for reminding me.
Duty. I go.
...
Dry yourself, you'll catch a cold.
Yes mom.
Do not stay wet in the shade. Get the towel.
Yes mom.
Put your shirt on. You are really funny all disheveled; come here, I'll dry your hair.
Now I shake like a dog, so I wet your skirt.
What fun do you find bathing in the river? You have a swimming pool at home.
It would be like asking a bird why he prefers to fly rather than stay in a cage. But, I forgot, you prefer the cage.
It depends on the cage.
Even if it was made of gold, professor, it's fake. It's dead. Like the swimming pool, like the aquarium.
Maybe you're not completely wrong.
What's happening to you? You became sad.
Nothing, I have a doubt.
What doubt?
Suddenly it seems to me that everything we're doing doesn't make sense. You are fine as you are, what I teach you is useless. Or rather, I think it is really wrong: I risk distorting you.
You're joking, right? You are my future.
Your future?
Yes: do you want to leave me here tumbling on the ground like a dog all life long? I mean, deep down I know I'm a human being.
But you run away from me like an eel.
I'm serious: I'm starting to like studying. And that bothers me, you know? I swore to myself to hate school forever.
You're just saying that to make me happy.
Obvious.
What an asshole.
Put that cd on, please?
We have to review the participle.
Not now, come on. I need to be at peace with myself for a while, I wouldn't listen to you.
How strange this piece.
It's a little heavy for a girl like you.
Do you think that what does not scandalize you can scandalize me?
It's not that I think so: I'm absolutely sure.
What does the text say? I can't understand it, it's impossible slang.
Let me find a decent synonym: "deflower me"?
Huh?
Inside the cover are the lyrics: read them yourself.
Ah here. Now I understand.
Listen, let's make a deal: I listen to my music and you read your books.
But I'm not shocked. Indeed, I like it, it is an intense text: it reminds me of Catullus, Rimbaud...
It doesn't have to remind you of anyone. Keep calm and try to relax, professor.
(Music and silence).
Why brown?
Why brown who?
Alcibiades.
Are you still thinking about him? What do I know, the brown is more passionate.
What kind of banality, professor!
Sorry to let you down.
Don't you like blond?
Less than brown.
Yeah, I forgot that the red-haired ones...
The red-haired what?
Nothing. However, the brown marks too strongly the boundary between male and female. I don't like what is too precise in sex.
Strange tastes, kid.
Strange why? Does it seem normal to you to be attracted to physical protrusions? Tits, butts, muscles?
Of course that's normal.
You too like everyone else, I see. People call vulgar things normal. My mates say they would like to fuck hot pussies: well, the word "fuck" is vulgar, and even "pussy" is vulgar. What is vulgar is disgusting to me. In general, I don't like the active.
To tell the truth, "fucking" is not active: it is transitive middle.
Thanks for the clarification: then I don't like the transitive middle.
Sorry, what do you mean you don't like it?
I mean that I prefer the passive. It is nature that makes you: you don't decide to be born, you don't decide to live, you don't decide to get sick and die. We might as well let ourselves be made, don't you think?
No. Not at all. It's a very dangerous point of view, I don't like you thinking it.
Dangerous is to live, professor, however you put it.
(A long silence).
Explain the participle to me.
What do I owe this initiative to?
Be careful, prof: if you keep asking me questions, sooner or later I'll be forced to answer you.