大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu dhroch rud a thachair dhomh nuair a bha mi a鈥� se貌ladh ann an gheat o chionn beagan seachdainean. Bidh sibh toilichte a chluinntinn nach can mi an c貌rr mu chur na mara an t-seachdain seo!

Bu mhath leam, ge-t脿, innse dhuibh mu rudeigin math a thachair dhomh air an dearbh thuras mara. Bha sinn ann an Canaigh airson na h-oidhche. 鈥橲 e eilean br猫agha a th鈥� ann agus bha e math dhomh a dhol air ais. Bha mi ann d矛reach aon turas roimhe 鈥� anns na h-ochdadan. Fhuair mi a-mach gu bheil G脿idhlig fhathast be貌 anns an eilean oir bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn ri fear de na h-eileanaich anns a鈥� ch脿nan againn.

Thathar ag obair air st貌ras iongantach Fear Chanaigh anns an Taigh Mh貌r 鈥� ga chur an 貌rdugh. 鈥橲 e cruinneachadh air leth a th鈥� ann, m貌ran dheth co-cheangailte ri dualchas nan G脿idheal. Anns an 霉ine romhainn bidh m貌ran a鈥� tadhal air Canaigh airson rannsachadh a dh猫anamh.

She貌l sinn a-mach 脿 Eilean Chanaigh mu mheadhan-latha oir bha sinn a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh air eilean beag iongantach 鈥� 脪igh-sgeir. Tha 脪igh-sgeir na laighe anns a鈥� chuan gu siar air R霉m, is beagan mh矛ltean an iar-dheas air Canaigh. Tha taigh-solais m貌r oirre.

Nise, bu ch貌ir dhomh d猫anamh soilleir an-dr脿sta nach eil mi a鈥� bruidhinn mu Heisgeir gu siar air Uibhist. Tha an d脿 ainm uabhasach coltach ri ch猫ile. Tha cuid a鈥� cumail a-mach gu bheil 脪igh-sgeir, faisg air Canaigh, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渧irgin rock鈥�, ach tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh nach e ainm G脿idhlig a bh鈥� ann bho th霉s ach ainm Lochlannach.

Bha rud s貌nraichte fa-near dhuinn a-muigh aig 脪igh-sgeir. Bha sinn an d貌chas d脿 ghn猫 de bheathach fhaicinn 鈥� mucan-mara agus cearbain. Uill, cha b鈥� e sin an latha airson mucan-mara. An latha roimhe, chunnaic sinn t猫 mhiongaidh faisg air Canaigh. Ach eadar Canaigh is 脪igh-sgeir cha robh sgeul air muc-mhara sam bith.

Ach bha sinn fortanach a thaobh cearbain. Nuair a dhl霉thaich sinn ri taobh an ear an eilein chunnaic sinn d脿 ite a鈥� briseadh uachdar na mara. D脿 ite mh貌ir dhuibh! D脿 chearban! Airson greis mhath, choimhead sinn orra. Bha iad a鈥� sn脿mh timcheall lem be貌il fosgailte, a鈥� criathradh biastagan beaga na mara. Abair gun robh iad m貌r.

Chaidh m鈥� inntinn air ais don leabhar iongantach a sgr矛obh Gavin Maxwell mu ghn矛omhachas a th貌isich e ann an S貌dhaigh 脿s d猫idh a鈥� Chogaidh 鈥� 鈥淗arpoon at a Venture鈥�. Bha iad a鈥� glacadh nan cearban le m貌r-ghathan no harpoons. Bha e furasta gu le貌r an cur anns na h-猫isg oir cha bhi iad a鈥� sn脿mh air falbh. Ach cha robh e cho furasta an uair sin na h-猫isg a chur fo smachd is an toirt gu t矛r. Tha iad m貌r is l脿idir. Gu pearsanta, tha mi toilichte nach eilear a鈥� sealg nan cearban tuilleadh. Tha iad airidh air d矛on.

Chaidh sinn a-null don chaolas eadar 脪igh-sgeir, far a bheil an taigh-solais, agus an Garbh-sgeir ri a taobh. Tha an d脿 eilean iongantach oir tha iad air an d猫anamh de cholbhan de bhasalt, ach m貌ran nas caoile nan fheadhainn ann an Stafa. Chaidh dithis de chriutha a鈥� gheat air bhog sa chaolas ann am b脿ta beag rubair. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh iad am measg c貌mhlan eile de chearbain, agus gach iasg nas motha nam b脿ta. An do ghabh iad eagal? Ghabh! Tha e math gu bheil na cearbain cho socair, s猫imh!

Faclan na Litreach: gheat: yacht; Canaigh: Canna; na h-ochdadan: the eighties; taigh-solais: lighthouse; S貌dhaigh: Soay (near Skye); caolas: narrow sea passage; socair, s猫imh: placid and peaceful.

Abairtean na Litreach: mu dhroch rud a thachair dhomh: about a bad thing that happened to me; nach can mi an c貌rr mu chur na mara: that I won鈥檛 say any more about seasickness; an dearbh thuras mara: the same maritime journey; st貌ras iongantach Fear Chanaigh: the amazing collection of the [late] Laird of Canna (John Lorne Campbell); anns an 霉ine romhainn bidh m貌ran a鈥� tadhal air: in the future many people will visit; na laighe anns a鈥� chuan gu siar air R霉m: lies in the sea west of Rum; an iar-dheas air Canaigh: south-west of Canna; bu ch貌ir dhomh d猫anamh soilleir: I should make clear; gu siar air Uibhist: west of Uist; bha rud s貌nraichte fa-near dhuinn: we had a special thing planned; mucan-mara agus cearbain: whales and basking sharks; t猫 mhiongaidh: a minke [whale]; nuair a dhl霉thaich sinn ri taobh an ear an eilein: when we drew close to the east side of the island; d脿 ite a鈥� briseadh uachdar na mara: two fins breaking the surface of the sea; lem be貌il fosgailte, a鈥� criathradh biastagan beaga na mara: with their mouths open, sieving the small creatures of the sea; na h-猫isg a chur fo smachd is an toirt gu t矛r: to control the fish and take them to land; nach eilear a鈥� sealg nan cearban tuilleadh: that [the] basking sharks are no longer hunted; airidh air d矛on: worthy of protection; m貌ran nas caoile nan fheadhainn ann an Stafa: much more slender than the ones on Staffa; dithis de chriutha a鈥� gheat: two of the yacht鈥檚 crew.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: d脿 ite mh貌ir dhuibh: two big black fins. Because ite is feminine, following d脿 (which puts it in the dual case, equivalent to the dative singular) any noun is traditionally slenderised (although ite itself cannot be slenderised as it is already slender). The qualifying adjectives obey the rule, whether or not the noun is able to 鈥� thus we slenderise mh貌r and dhubh. But many people today would say d脿 ite mh貌r dhubh, ignoring the historical slenderisation.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: air bhog: afloat.