大象传媒

Bidh daoine ag r脿dh 鈥渃ho carach ris an t-sionnach鈥�, ach a bheil beathach ann a tha nas caraiche na sionnach? Seo agaibh st貌iridh traidiseanta mun nios, no neas. 鈥橲 e sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air weasel. Tha e a鈥� tighinn 脿 taobh Loch Laomainn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns a鈥� choille bha sionnach a鈥� fuireach. Bhiodh e a鈥� falbh gach oidhche airson creach a thogail air cearcan na n脿baidheachd. Ach, a bharrachd air cearcan, bha e gu math measail air coineanaich no rabaidean. Chuir sin dragh m貌r air nios anns an sg矛re. Bha esan dhen bheachd gur ann leis-san a bha na rabaidean gu l猫ir.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Gu m矛-fhortanach don nios, bha an sionnach m貌ran na bu l脿idire agus na bu chomasaiche air sealg. 鈥橲 ann tric a bhiodh an nios a鈥� dol a chadal gun suipear fhad 鈥檚 a bha an sionnach a鈥� gabhail d矛nnear mh貌r de rabaidean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Latha a bha seo, chunnaic an nios cothrom airson d矛oghaltas a ghabhail air an t-sionnach. Bha e a-muigh a鈥� sealg agus th脿inig e air a鈥� gheamair. Bha an geamair na shuain chadal aig bonn craoibhe. Ri a thaobh bha a ghunna, a bhogsa snaoisein agus c貌ig paidhrichean de rabaidean sultmhor.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thog an nios na rabaidean fear ma seach agus thug e gu oir na coille iad. Thog e am bogsa snaoisein cuideachd agus dh鈥檉halbh e leis. An uair sin chaidh e a-mach a lorg an t-sionnaich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hig is faic an t-suipear mh貌r agam,鈥� thuirt e ris an t-sionnach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎gus d猫 ghlacadh nios beag a bhiodh inntinneach do 蝉丑脿谤-蝉丑别补濒驳补颈谤 mar a tha mise?鈥� thuirt an sionnach. Bha e ruideigin m貌r 脿s 蹿丑猫颈苍.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha deich rabaidean sultmhor agam,鈥� thuirt an nios gu pr貌iseil. 鈥淭hig is coimhead.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉halbh an sionnach leis an nios agus, ceart gu le貌r, bha deich rabaidean ann marbh air an talamh. 鈥淚s math a rinn thu, a charaid bhig,鈥� thuirt an sionnach, 鈥渁ch ciamar a ghlac thu deich rabaidean?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ha e furasta,鈥� fhreagair an nios. 鈥淩inn mi snotadh air an fh霉dair dhraoidheil aig a鈥� gheamair. Th脿inig neart m貌r orm agus b鈥� urrainn dhomh ruith na bu luaithe na rabaid sam bith.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Choimhead an sionnach air a鈥� bhogsa shnaoisein. Bha 霉idh aige ann. 鈥淎m feuch thu fh猫in e?鈥� thuirt an nios. Fhreagair an sionnach gum feuchadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐eart, ma-th脿,鈥� ars an nios. 鈥淔osgail am bogsa. D猫an snotadh air an fh霉dair a tha na bhroinn. Cuiridh mi geall nach bi do leithid ann airson neart no luaths.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉hosgail an sionnach am bogsa. Chuir e shr貌n ann agus rinn e snotadh m貌r. Rinn e nuall m貌r agus sreathartaich gun sgur. Dh鈥檉halbh an nios agus bh矛d e cluas a鈥� gheamair. Dh霉isg agus dh鈥櫭╥rich an geamair. Chuala e an othail anns a鈥� choille agus thog e a ghunna. An ceann greis chuala an nios brag gunna.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Air an oidhche sin, chaidh an nios dhachaigh seachad air taigh a鈥� gheamair. Bha earball an t-sionnaich crochte air tarrag faisg air an doras. Bha fios aig an nios gum biodh na rabaidean aigesan a-nis, 鈥檚 nach cuireadh sionnach dragh sam bith air. Agus sin mar a rinn an nios carach a鈥� ch霉is air an t-sionnach nach robh buileach cho carach ris.听

cho carach ris an t-sionnach: as wily as the fox; airson creach a thogail air cearcan na n脿baidheachd: to plunder the neighbourhood鈥檚 hens; bha e gu math measail air coineanaich no rabaidean: he really liked rabbits; chuir sin dragh m貌r air nios: that really annoyed a weasel; gur ann leis-san a bha na rabaidean gu l猫ir: that all the rabbits belonged to him; na bu chomasaiche air sealg: better at hunting; 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh an nios a鈥� dol a chadal gun suipear: often the weasel would go to sleep without supper; cothrom airson d矛oghaltas a ghabhail air: an opportunity to get revenge on; th脿inig e air a鈥� gheamair: he happened upon the gamekeeper; na shuain chadal: deeply asleep; a ghunna, a bhogsa snaoisein agus c貌ig paidhrichean de rabaidean sultmhor: his gun, his snuff box and five pairs of fat rabbits; fear ma seach: one at a time; thug e gu oir na coille iad: he took them to the edge of the wood; rinn mi snotadh air an fh霉dair dhraoidheil aig a鈥� gheamair: I took a sniff of the gamekeeper鈥檚 magic powder; am feuch thu fh猫in e?: will you try it yourself?; ceart, ma-th脿: okay, then; a tha na bhroinn: that鈥檚 inside it; cuiridh mi geall nach bi do leithid ann airson neart no luaths: I bet you鈥檒l have no equal for strength or speed; nuall m貌r agus sreathartaich gun sgur: great howling and incessant sneezing; bh矛d e cluas a鈥� gheamair: he bit the ear of the gamekeeper; dh霉isg agus dh鈥櫭╥rich an geamair: the gamekeeper woke up and got up; chuala e an othail anns a鈥� choille agus thog e a ghunna: he heard the uproar in the wood and he picked up his gun; dhachaigh seachad air taigh a鈥� gheamair: home past the gamekeeper鈥檚 house; crochte air tarrag: hung on a nail; gum biodh na rabaidean aigesan a-nis: that he would have the rabbits now.

a bhiodh inntinneach do 蝉丑脿谤-蝉丑别补濒驳补颈谤 mar a tha mise: that would be of interest to a supreme hunter as I am. 厂脿谤 is a really useful augmentative prefix that can be used to emphasize the quality of the noun to which it is joined. It has the sense of the superlative about it and the 鈥渂est player鈥� award (eg in the shinty finals) is given to the 鈥�蝉脿谤-肠丑濒耻颈肠丑别补诲补颈谤鈥� (note that 蝉脿谤 lenites the noun). Other examples are 蝉脿谤-dhuine (a great guy), 蝉脿谤-mh脿ise (exceptional beauty), 蝉脿谤-phroifeiseantach (a real professional). A famous 19th Century anthology of Gaelic poetry is called 厂脿谤-obair nam B脿rd G脿idhealach, often referred to, when discussing poetry, as simply 鈥湷�脿谤-obair鈥�.

Bha e ruideigin m貌r 脿s 蹿丑猫颈苍: he was somewhat vain.

听

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