大象传媒

Ghluais Eric MacLe貌id is a theaghlach gu ruige Cearachar, air cladach Loch a鈥� Ch脿irn Bh脿in ann an Asainte, ann an naoi ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a sia (1976). Cha robh an seann taigh 鈥� a bhuineadh do a theaghlach 鈥� ann an staid math gu le貌r airson fuireachann an toiseach. Mar sin, bha iad airson carabhan a ghluasad s矛os an loch a Chearachar.聽Cha robh rathad a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an 脿ite.

Thog Eric r脿th m貌r le fiodh agus seann bharaillean. Fhuair e taic bho iasgair a bha a鈥� fuireach sa Chaolas Chumhang. Tharraing an t-iasgair an r脿th gu ruige Cearachar leis an eathar aige.

Bidh cuid agaibh e貌lach air an iasgair sin. Is esan Ruairidh MacLe貌id a bhuineas do Sgalpaigh Na Hearadh. Tha Ruairidh air m貌ran bhliadhnaichean a chur seachad ann an Asainte agus D霉thaich MhicAoidh. Tha e air obair mh貌r a dh猫anamh air adhbhar na G脿idhlig anns an d脿 sg矛re sin. Bidh e fhathast a鈥� teagasg na G脿idhlig do dhaoine ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh 鈥� co-dhi霉 tha iad sean no 貌g.

Anns an leabhar a sgr矛obh e mu na bliadhnaichean aige ann an Cearachar 鈥� TheKerracher Man 鈥� tha Eric MacLe貌id ag ainmeachadh Ruairidh MhicLe貌id gu tric. Tha ega mholadh mar dhuine toinisgeil le deagh e貌las practaigeach air a鈥� mhuir. Co-dhi霉,chaidh aca air an carabhan a thoirt a Chearachar, agus bha dachaigh ann don teaghlach fhad 鈥檚 a rinn iad obair-c脿raidh air an taigh.

Cha b鈥� urrainn do dh鈥� Eric cumail a dol mar chunntasair ann an Cearachar 鈥� anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach co-dhi霉. Dh鈥檉heuch e iasgach agus thug Ruairidh obair dha air an eathar-iasgaich aige 鈥� a鈥� togail chliabh. Cha do mhair Eric fada, ge-t脿. Bha cur na mara air gu dona. Cha b鈥� urrainn dha sguir a dh矛obhairt. Thug Ruairidh comhairle dha. 鈥淐haneil ann ach aon leigheas airson cur na mara,鈥� thuirt e..
鈥淒猫 th鈥� ann?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Eric.
鈥淎 bhith nad sheasamh fo chraobh!鈥� thuirt Ruairidh. Agus th脿inig dreuchd Ericmar iasgair gu cr矛ch taobh a-staigh aon mhadainn.
Ach bha Eric is a theaghlach soirbheachail ann an iomadach d貌igh eile. Rinn iad grunn rudan airson bith-be貌 a bhith aca 鈥� gruagaireachd, dr脿ibheadh bus na sgoile,croitearachd, a bhith nan tuathanaich-猫isg 鈥� agus cunntasaireachd. Bha cearcan aca is poll-m貌nach. Bhiodh iad a鈥� sealg nam fiadh. Bha caoraich is eich aca. Ged a fhuair iad comhairle bho iomadh duine gun a dhol a dh鈥檉huireach ann, shoirbhich leotha. Tha ancunntas a tha an t-霉ghdar a鈥� d猫anamh dhen bheatha aca, thar nan sia bliadhn鈥� deug adh鈥檉huirich iad ann, gu math inntinneach is laghach.

Mar a bhiodh d霉il, bha stoirmean m貌ra aca aig amannan. Aon turas th脿inig stoirmaig 脿m an reothairt. Nuair a bha an l脿n ann, agus e dorch, fhuair an teaghlach a-mach gun聽robh am fiodh a bh鈥� aca airson an taigh a ch脿radh, a鈥� flodadh a-mach gu muir.鈥淏i taingeil nach eil rathad a-mach 脿 seo,鈥� thuirt Eric ri a bhean nuair a fhuair egu leabaidh.鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� ciallachadh?鈥� thuirt a bhean.鈥淐ha bhiodh tusa is a鈥� chlann-nighean anns an leabaidh a-nise. Bhiodh sibh annsan Land Rover cuide rium 鈥� a鈥� falbh don cheann a deas.鈥�

Bha c霉isean doirbh aig amannan. Ach bha tlachd mh貌r am measg nan duilgheadasan. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, ghluais feadhainn 霉ra a-steach don 脿ite sin 鈥� ach, airsg脿th an leabhair, tha d矛leab Clann MhicLe貌id Chearachair s脿bhailte.

Cearachar: Kerracher; Asainte: Assynt; r脿th: raft; An CaolasCumhang: Kylesku; eathar: boat; D霉thaich MhicAoidh: The Mackay Country (of NSutherland); cunntasair: accountant; cur na mara: seasickness; gruagaireachd:hairdressing; poll-m貌nach: peat bank; 霉ghdar: author; an reothairt: time of the springtides; taingeil: thankful.

a bhuineadh do a theaghlach: which belonged to his family; ann an staid math gu le貌r: in a good enough condition; a bhuineas do Sgalpaigh Na Hearadh:聽who belongs to Scalpay Harris; air adhbhar na G脿idhlig: for the Gaelic cause; tha e ga聽mholadh mar dhuine toinisgeil le deagh e貌las practaigeach air a鈥� mhuir: he praises him聽as a sensible man with a good practical knowledge of the sea; fhad 鈥檚 a rinn iad obair-c脿raidh聽air an taigh: while they repaired the house; anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach co-dhi霉: in聽the first instance at least; air an eathar-iasgaich aige 鈥� a鈥� togail chliabh: on his fishing聽boat 鈥� lifting creels; cha b鈥� urrainn dha sguir a dh矛obhairt: he couldn鈥檛 stop vomiting;聽chan eil ann ach aon leigheas: there鈥檚 only one cure; a bhith nad sheasamh fo chraobh: tostand under a tree; gu cr矛ch taobh a-staigh aon mhadainn: to an end within one morning;rinn iad grunn rudan airson bith-be貌 a bhith aca: they did several things to make a living;air sg脿th an leabhair: because of the book; tha d矛leab Clann MhicLe貌id Chearachair聽s脿bhailte: the legacy of the MacLeods of Kerracher is safe.

thar nan sia bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檉huirich iad ann: overthe sixteen years they lived there. The reason for the nan here is that the preposition thartakes the genitive case. So (na) sia bliadhn鈥� deug is actually a genitive phrase. It is agenitive plural because we are talking about a plural number of years so the article mustbe nan. Because it鈥檚 a plural you might expect me to say thar nan sia bliadhnaicheandeug, but that would not be natural. We don鈥檛 put bliadhna in its plural form when usingit as part of a numeral, even where the grammatical rules might seem to demand it.Latha (day) works similarly 鈥� we say c貌ig latha fichead not c貌ig l脿ithean fichead for 鈥�25days鈥�.

co-dhi霉 tha iad sean no 貌g: whether they are young or old.

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA