大象传媒

Mar a bha mi ag r脿dh an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ann an d霉thaich nan S脿mi, ann an ceann a tuath na Suain, aig 脿m na C脿isge am-bliadhna. Bha mi a鈥� sgitheadh tro dh霉thaich anns am bi cuid de Sh脿mi fhathast a鈥� cumail f猫idh-shneachda. Chunnaic mi d脿 fhiadh a-mh脿in. Ach chunnaic mi grunn dhaoine S脿mi air sgutairean-sneachda. Tha d霉il a鈥檓 gun robh iad a鈥� coimhead airson f猫idh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh mi seachad air bailtean anns na beanntan 鈥� far nach eil rathad-carbaid sam bith a鈥� dol 鈥� anns am bi S脿mi a鈥� fuireach aig amannan. Bha taighean ann agus teantaichean anns am bithear a鈥� smocadh na fe貌la. Bidh daoine a鈥� faighinn chun nam bailtean sin sa gheamhradh air sgutairean-sneachda. Tha sin furasta. Chan eil e cho furasta as t-samhradh nuair nach eil sneachd ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Air an latha mu dheireadh dhen turas sgithidh agam, thachair mi ri t猫 Sh脿mi inntinneach. 鈥橲 e Lisa an t-ainm a th鈥� oirre agus, nuair a thachair mi rithe, bha i a鈥� c貌caireachd reindeerburgers! Bha iad blasta cuideachd! Tha taigh-b矛dh snog aig an teaghlach aice ri taobh loch 鈥� a bha fhathast re貌ite nuair a bha mise ann. Bha bratach nan S脿mi aca shuas os cionn an dorais.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha c貌mhradh laghach agam le Lisa mu dheidhinn nan S脿mi. Tha deagh Bheurla is Suaineis aice, ach 鈥檚 e S脿mais a bhios i a鈥� bruidhinn san dachaigh. Dh鈥檌nnis i dhomh mu shuidheachadh an c脿nain. Tha ceangal l脿idir aice don 脿rainneachd. Ach chaidh d矛meas m貌r a dh猫anamh oirre san 霉ine a dh鈥檉halbh. Bha i air a cumail a-mach 脿 foghlam fad dheicheadan. Dh鈥檌nns Lisa dhomh gun robh e eadhon an aghaidh an lagh a bhith ga bruidhinn suas chun nan caogadan dhen fhicheadamh linn.

Tha c霉isean air atharrachadh 鈥� gu 矛re. Tha corra sgoil aca a-nise a tha a鈥� teagasg tro mheadhan na S脿mais agus tha n脿dar de ph脿rlamaid aca ann am baile Khiruna. Ach 鈥檚 e d矛reach a鈥� bheag-chuid de Sh脿mi aig a bheil an c脿nan an-diugh, eadhon ann an Nirribhidh far a bheil iad nas pailte. Bidh cuid dhen fheadhainn aig a bheil S脿mais a鈥� bruidhinn Suaineis rin cloinn, seach S脿mais. Agus tha cuid de Shuainich fhathast a鈥� d猫anamh d矛meas air na S脿mi agus air an c脿nan is cultar. Thuirt mi ri Lisa gum biodh i a鈥� faireachdainn gun robh i aig an taigh ann an Alba!

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha thu 脿 Alba?鈥� thuirt i. 鈥淭ha sin inntinneach.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎n robh thu ann?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich mi.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐ha robh,鈥� fhreagair i, 鈥渁ch 鈥檚 e uncail m鈥� athar a thug f猫idh-shneachda a dh鈥橝lba iomadh bliadhna air ais.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha thu a鈥� ciallachadh Mikel Utzi,鈥� thuirt mi, oir bha mi air cluinntinn mu dheidhinn, ged nach robh mi e貌lach air. 鈥橲 e S脿mi a bh鈥� ann, 脿s an t-Suain, agus thug e f猫idh-shneachda don Mhonadh Ruadh ann an naoi ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1952). Tha an treud ann fhathast. 鈥淎n dearbh dhuine,鈥� fhreagair i, 鈥渁n dearbh dhuine.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥櫭╥gh mi air bana-charaid 脿s an Aghaidh Mh貌ir a bha cuide rium. 鈥淭robhad seo,鈥� thuirt mi rithe. 鈥淔eumaidh tu coinneachadh ris a鈥� bhoireannach seo.鈥� Tha mo bhana-charaid p貌sta aig fear a bha ag obair do Mhikel Utzi aig toiseach nan seasgadan. B鈥� e an obair aige buachailleachd nam fiadh-sneachda anns a鈥� Mhonadh Ruadh. Thug mi an dithis bhoireannach c貌mhla agus, mar a bhiodh d霉il, bha c貌mhradh laghach aca mu fh猫idh is sneachd is beanntan.听听

d霉thaich nan S脿mi: the country of the S谩mi; chunnaic mi d脿 fhiadh a-mh脿in: I only saw two deer; sgutairean-sneachda: snowmobiles, snow scooters; teantaichean anns am bithear a鈥� smocadh na fe貌la: tents in which the meat is smoked; an latha mu dheireadh dhen turas sgithidh agam: the final day of my ski trip; nuair a thachair mi rithe: when I met her; bha bratach nan S脿mi aca shuas os cionn an dorais: they had the S谩mi flag up above the door; bha c貌mhradh laghach agam: I had a nice conversation; tha ceangal l脿idir aice don 脿rainneachd: it has a strong connection to the environment; chaidh d矛meas m貌r a dh猫anamh oirre san 霉ine a dh鈥檉halbh: it was shown great disrespect in past times; air a cumail a-mach 脿 foghlam fad dheicheadan: kept out of education for decades; suas chun nan caogadan dhen fhicheadamh linn: up until the 1950s; tha c霉isean air atharrachadh 鈥� gu 矛re: things have changed 鈥� to a degree; n脿dar de ph脿rlamaid: a sort of parliament [it has very limited powers]; eadhon ann an Nirribhidh far a bheil iad nas pailte: even in Norway where they are more numerous; a鈥� bruidhinn Suaineis rin cloinn, seach 厂脿尘补颈蝉: speaking Swedish to their children, rather than S谩mi; gum biodh i a鈥� faireachdainn gun robh i aig an taigh: that she鈥檇 feel at home; 鈥檚 e uncail m鈥� athar a thug f猫idh-shneachda a dh鈥橝lba: it was my father鈥檚 uncle that took reindeer to Scotland; bha mi air cluinntinn mu dheidhinn: I had heard about him; an dearbh dhuine: the very man; dh鈥櫭╥gh mi air bana-charaid 脿s an Aghaidh Mh貌ir: I shouted to a friend from Aviemore; feumaidh tu coinneachadh ris a鈥� bhoireannach seo: you must meet this woman; toiseach nan seasgadan: the start of the (19)60s.

Some people might question my use of fiadh-sneachda (lit 鈥渟now deer鈥�) for 鈥渞eindeer鈥�. You will also come across 蹿颈补诲丑-尘貌谤 (鈥渂ig deer鈥�), fiadh Lochlannach (鈥淪candinavian deer鈥�) and 谤猫颈苍-蹿丑颈补诲丑 (partially borrowed from the English, although the English follows a Norse original). But Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary gives three other words that I鈥檝e never heard used casually 鈥� fast, tast and 产谤脿肠, although the last can also mean other species of deer. Dwelly even gives the intriguing example: 鈥�Ceud 产谤脿肠 bruaill an t-samhraidh, a hundred reindeer intractable in summer.鈥� I鈥檇 love to know where he got that example!

Tha d霉il a鈥檓: I expect (short for tha d霉il agam 鈥� this contraction is common in speech, and it is legitimate to show it in writing).

听

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