大象传媒

Bha mi aig taisbeanadh an latha eile. Taisbeanadh 霉r-nodha. Chaidh mi a-steach. Bha mi aig an fh矛or thoiseach dhen taisbeanadh. Bha am fear a bh鈥� air c霉l a鈥� ghnothaich ag iarraidh mo bheachd fhaighinn air. Thuig mi sin ceart gu le貌r, oir bha e air obair mh貌r a dh猫anamh. Ach cha robh mi deiseil airson mo bheachd a thoirt oir bha mi d矛reach aig toiseach an taisbeanaidh. 鈥淢ol an latha mu oidhche,鈥� shaoil mi rium fh矛n.

鈥橲 e seanfhacal feumail a tha sin. Mol an latha mu oidhche. Praise the day around nightfall. Bidh fios agad le cinnt 鈥� aig deireadh an latha 鈥� d猫 an se貌rsa molaidh a n矛 thu air. Dh鈥檉haodadh tu an aon rud a r脿dh ri duine ma dh鈥檌arras e ort do bheachd a thoirt air leabhar, agus tu fhathast faisg air an toiseach. Mol an latha mu oidhche.

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh o chionn ghoirid mu fheadhainn a bha ri sealg nam mucan-mara anns a鈥� Chuan S猫imh anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha iad an t貌ir air na mucan sperm 鈥� an se貌rsa a rinn Herman Melville ainmeil anns an nobhail aige Moby Dick. Agus mar a thachair ann am Moby Dick cha deach an tachartas seo buileach leis na sealgairean.

Bha an soitheach, an Ann Alexander, fo chommand a鈥� Chaiptein John DeBlois. Cha chreid mi nach e Ameireaganach a bh鈥� ann. Chunnaic iad muc-mhara mh貌r. Bhiodh ola gu le貌r innte! Chuireadh d脿 bh脿ta bheag gu muir, le m貌r-ghath, no harpoon, anns gach t猫. Ach gun rabhadh thug a鈥� mhuc-mhara ionnsaigh chruaidh le a beul air a鈥� chiad bh脿ta agus chaidh am b脿ta fodha. Chaidh cobhair a dh猫anamh air na daoine. Bha na sealgairean deiseil anns an d脿rna b脿ta. Ach thill a鈥� mhuc-mhara agus chuir i an d脿rna b脿ta fodha cuideachd.

An robh an Caiptean DeBlois deiseil airson an t-sealg a leigeil seachad? Cha robh. Bha e cho feargach 鈥檚 a bha a鈥� mhuc fh猫in. Bha e airson a glacadh! Chaidh e gu toiseach an t-soithich mh貌ir le m貌r-ghath na l脿imh. Ach ch霉m a鈥� mhuc-mhara fada gu le貌r air falbh airson a bhith s脿bhailte.

Gu h-obann, chaidh a鈥� mhuc fodha. Nuair a nochd i a-rithist, bha i a鈥� d猫anamh air toiseach na luinge aig astar. Bhuail i an long gu cruaidh. Bha na daoine a-nise a鈥� gabhail eagal. Dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� mhuc-mhara a-rithist. A-rithist shn脿imh i a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an t-soithich. Bhuail i fiodh cliathaich na luinge cho cruaidh 鈥檚 gun do bhris i toll m貌r innte. Bha an t-uisge a鈥� d貌rtadh a-steach. Bha an long a鈥� dol fodha. Theich an criutha do na b脿taichean aca. Nuair a th脿inig dol fodha na gr猫ine, d猫 an se貌rsa molaidh a rinn iad air latha a bha cho gealltainneach aig an toiseach?

An ath mhadainn cha robh c脿il aca ach falbh air a鈥� chuan mh貌r ann am b脿taichean beaga. Cha robh biadh no uisge gu le貌r aca airson faighinn gu t矛r. Chuir iad romhpa dhol gu tuath, feuch long eile a lorg. Th貌isich na daoine air me貌rachadh air d猫 thachradh dhaibh. Am biodh aca ris na companaich aca ithe? D猫 an se貌rsa molaidh a dh猫anadh iad air an latha sin?

Chaidh iad gu tuath, dusan duine anns an aon bh脿ta, 鈥檚 tr矛 duine deug anns an t猫ile. Aig ciaradh an fheasgair, chunnaic DeBlois rudeigin. Se貌l! Bha soitheach se貌laidh faisg orra! An ceann greis, bha iad air b貌rd an t-soithich Nantucket a bha cuideachd a鈥� lorg mhucan-mara. Bha iad uile sl脿n s脿bhailte, ged a chaill iad an long ann am meadhan a鈥� Chuain S猫imh. Mol an latha mu oidhche.

Faclan na Litreach: taisbeanadh: exhibition; 霉r-nodha: brand new; m貌r-ghath: harpoon; an t猫ile: the other one [an t猫 eile].

Abairtean na Litreach: f矛or thoiseach: the very beginning; bha am fear a bh鈥� air c霉l a鈥� ghnothaich ag iarraidh mo bheachd fhaighinn air: the guy who organised [was behind] the matter wanted my opinion on it; thuig mi sin: I understood that; bha e air obair mh貌r a dh猫anamh: he had done a lot of work; d猫 an se貌rsa molaidh a n矛 thu air: what sort of praise you will give it; ri sealg nam mucan-mara: hunting the whales; cha deach an tachartas seo buileach leis na sealgairean: this happening wasn鈥檛 completely successful for the whalers; fo chommand a鈥� Chaiptein X: under the command of Captain X; cha chreid mi nach e Ameireaganach a bh鈥� ann: I think he was an American; bhiodh ola gu le貌r innte: there was plenty of oil in her; chuireadh d脿 bh脿ta bheag gu muir: two small boats were put to sea; gun rabhadh thug a鈥� mhuc-mhara ionnsaigh chruaidh: without warning the whale attacked; chaidh cobhair a dh猫anamh air na daoine: the men were rescued; chuir i an d脿rna b脿ta fodha: she sank the second boat; deiseil airson an t-sealg a leigeil seachad: ready to give up the hunt; bha e airson a glacadh: he wanted to catch her; a鈥� d猫anamh air toiseach na luinge aig astar: making for the bow of the ship at speed; shn脿imh i a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an t-soithich: she swam towards the vessel; bhuail i fiodh cliathaich na luinge cho cruaidh 鈥檚 gun do bhris i toll m貌r innte: she hit the wood of the ship鈥檚 s矛de so hard that she made a big hole in her; latha a bha cho gealltainneach aig an toiseach: a day that was so promising at the beginning; cha robh c脿il aca ach falbh: there wasn鈥檛 nothing for them but to leave; airson faighinn gu t矛r: to get to land; chuir iad romhpa dhol gu tuath: they decided to go north; me貌rachadh air d猫 thachradh dhaibh: contemplating what would happen to them; am biodh aca ris na companaich aca ithe?: would they have to eat their companions?; ciaradh an fheasgair: dusk; an ceann greis: a little while later.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: ann am meadhan a鈥� Chuain S猫imh: in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Why did I not say meadhan a鈥� Chuain Sh猫imh (as you will hear in some parts of the G脿idhealtachd) 鈥� because the grammatical rules tell us that the adjective in the genitive singular (where the article is present) should be lenited in the same way the noun is lenited). But there鈥檚 another grammatical rule that traditionally takes precedence 鈥� the terminal 鈥渘鈥� in Chuain prevents the lenition of the 鈥渟鈥� in S猫imh. It would also prevent lenition of 鈥渄鈥� or 鈥渢鈥� (it鈥檚 why we say Beinn Dearg rather than Beinn Dhearg). Thus: meadhan a鈥� Chuain Mhealltaich but meadhan a鈥� Chuain D矛oghaltaich.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Mol an latha mu oidhche: praise the day around nightfall ie don鈥檛 be too quick to make a judgement on something 鈥� wait until you have experienced it properly.