大象传媒

Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an st貌iridh thraidiseanta, Bilidh, a chaidh a chruinneachadh ann am Barraigh anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Tha cuid de na faclan anns an st貌iridh rud beag seann-fhasanta. Bha am fear 貌g seo, Bilidh, uabhasach measail air m猫irle. Bha e air stuth a ghoid air an duine uasal a bha a鈥� fuireach faisg air. Dh鈥檌arr an duine uasal air a dhol a dh鈥檌onnsachadh na m猫irle gu ceart. Feumaidh gun robh plana aige airson Bilidh.

Co-dhi霉, bha Bilidh air m猫irle ionnsachadh, ceart gu le貌r, ach bha an duine uasal airson aon deuchainn a bharrachd a chur air.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏idh claidheamh agam air a鈥� bh貌rd,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁gus daga l脿n urchair. Mura toir thu leat an l矛on anart 鈥� no siota 鈥� fo dhruim mo mhn脿, cha bhi tuilleadh saoghail agad.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕u dearbh,鈥� arsa Bilidh, 鈥渢ha e a cheart cho math dhuibh mo mharbhadh far a bheil sinn.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淢ura d猫an thu siud,鈥� thuirt an duine uasal a-rithist, 鈥渃ha bhi m貌ran saoghail agad.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾�橲 e seo an rud a bu dorra a chaidh mu mo choinneimh riamh,鈥� arsa Bilidh. Ach dh鈥檉halbh e air an oidhche sin fh猫in agus chaidh e don chladh. Thog e corp a bh鈥� air 霉r-thiodhlacadh ann is chuir e aodach air. Thug e an corp leis. Bha r貌p aige. R脿inig e taigh an duine uasail is chaidh e suas air a鈥� mhullach. Leig e an corp s矛os an similear air an r貌p.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉hairich an duine uasal fuaim. Dh鈥櫭╥rich e agus las e solas. Chunnaic e casan a鈥� tighinn s矛os an similear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�Mac an fhir ud!鈥� smaoinich e (bha e dhen bheachd gur e Bilidh a bh鈥� ann). 鈥淏heir mise air nach bi tuilleadh saoghail aige. Cha loisg mi air a chasan. Ach nuair a nochdas a chorp 鈥檚 ann an uair sin a loisgeas mi air.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a th脿inig an corp a-nuas, loisg an duine uasal air. 鈥淪in e!鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淔脿gaidh mi an sin e gus an tig an latha.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎ir gaol Dh猫, na f脿g!鈥� ars a bhean. 鈥淭halla leis agus tiodhlaic e, mus adhbharaich e do bh脿s fh猫in.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuir an duine uasal an corp air a ghualainn. Ghabh e a-mach leis. Nuair a mhothaich Bilidh gun robh an duine uasal air falbh leis a鈥� chorp, a-staigh a ghabh e. Anns an dorchadas thug e a chreidsinn do bhean an duine uasail gum b鈥� esan an duine aice. 鈥淭ha e cho trom,鈥� thuirt e ann an guth uasal, 鈥溾�檚 nach urrainn dhomh falbh leis an-dr脿sta.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus chaidh Bilidh don leabaidh le bean an duine uasail. Beag air bheag, dh鈥檕braich e an l矛on anart don taobh aigesan. Nuair a bha e aige, dh鈥櫭╥rich e is dh鈥檉halbh e a-mach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th脿inig an duine uasal 脿s d猫idh dha an corp a thiodhlacadh. 鈥淭ha mi sg矛th agus air mo sh脿rachadh,鈥� thuirt e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒猫, a ghr脿idh, a dh鈥檉h脿gadh sg矛th thu?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich a bhean. 鈥淐han eil d脿 mhionaid on a dh鈥檉h脿g thu mi anns an leabaidh.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Sheall an duine uasal air an leabaidh. Mhothaich e gun robh an l矛on anart a dh矛th. Bha Bilidh air a鈥� ch霉is a dh猫anamh air. 鈥淏iodh e fh猫in agad cuideachd,鈥� thuirt an duine uasal ri a bhean. Dh鈥檉halbh an duine uasal agus bha an taigh agus bean aige aig Bilidh. Tha mi cinnteach nach robh dragh air Bilidh tuilleadh mu bhith ri m猫irle.

Bilidh: Billy; seann-fhasanta: old-fashioned; claidheamh: sword; cladh: cemetery; a dh矛th: 尘颈蝉蝉颈苍驳.听

measail air m猫irle: keen on thieving; bha an duine uasal airson aon deuchainn a bharrachd a chur air: the gentleman wanted to set him another test; daga l脿n urchair: a pistol full of shot; mura toir thu leat an l矛on anart: if you don鈥檛 take with you the sheet; fo dhruim mo mhn脿: under my wife鈥檚 back; tha e a cheart cho math dhuibh mo mharbhadh: it鈥檚 as well for you to kill me; an rud a bu dorra a chaidh mu mo choinneimh riamh: the most difficult thing that ever faced me; thog e corp a bh鈥� air 霉r-thiodhlacadh: he raised a body that had been newly buried; s矛os an similear: down the chimney; dh鈥檉hairich X fuaim: X heard a noise; nuair a nochdas a chorp 鈥檚 ann an uair sin a loisgeas mi air: when his body appears, it鈥檚 then that I鈥檒l fire at [on] it; gus an tig an latha: until the day[light] comes; air gaol Dh猫, na f脿g!: for the love of God, don鈥檛 [leave it]!; thalla leis agus tiodhlaic e: go with it and bury it; mus adhbharaich e do bh脿s fh猫in: before it causes your own death; a-staigh a ghabh e: in he went; thug e a chreidsinn do bhean an duine uasail gum b鈥� esan an duine aice: he pretended to the gentleman鈥檚 wife that he was her husband; cho trom 鈥檚 nach urrainn dhomh falbh leis: so heavy that I can鈥檛 leave with it; beag air bheag: little by little; dh鈥檕braich e an l矛on anart don taobh aigesan: he worked the sheet to his s矛de; 脿s d猫idh dha an corp a thiodhlacadh: after he had buried the body; air mo sh脿rachadh: harrassed; d猫, a ghr脿idh, a dh鈥檉h脿gadh sg矛th thu?: what, dear, would leave you tired?; biodh e fh猫in agad: let him be yours.

Bheir mise air nach bi tuilleadh saoghail aige: I鈥檒l make sure he doesn鈥檛 live long. This is a traditional usage. Although we tend to think of saoghal as meaning 鈥渨orld鈥� 鈥� eg muinntir an t-saoghail (the people of the world), d猫 air an t-saoghal mh貌r a tha a鈥� dol? (what on Earth is happening?), it can also mean 鈥渓ife鈥�. Here are some examples of usage: tha mi an d貌chas gum bi saoghal fada agad (I hope you have a long life), tha i faisg air deireadh a saoghail, tha eagal orm (she is close to the end of her life, I鈥檓 afraid), ma gheibh mi saoghal, n矛 mi mo dh矛cheall a bhith nam dhuine math (if I survive, I鈥檒l try to be a good person).

Mac an fhir ud!: that fiend! [lit. the son of that man].

听

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