大象传媒

Seo st貌iridh dhuibh 鈥� Am Muillear Cam agus am Balbhan Sasannach. Bha Albannach is Sasannach ann an taigh-seinnse ann an D霉n 脠ideann. 鈥淐uiridh mi geall,鈥� thuirt an Sasannach, 鈥済u bheil fear balbh ann an Sasainn as urrainn ceistean a chur nach urrainn duine sam bith ann an Alba a fhreagairt.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淗uh! Cuiridh sinn ceud not air,鈥� fhreagair an t-Albannach. 鈥淭ha maighstir-sgoile againne as urrainn a h-uile ceist a fhreagairt a chuireadh Sasannach sam bith air.鈥� Agus dh鈥檃ontaich iad coinneachadh a-rithist an ceann seachdain.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh an t-Albannach a ch猫ilidh air a鈥� mhaighstir-sgoile. Ach dhi霉lt am maighstir-sgoile gnothach a ghabhail ris. 鈥淐ha t猫id mi ann idir,鈥� thuirt e. Bha an t-Albannach a鈥� dol a chall a cheud not. Ach chaidh e a ch猫ilidh air a鈥� mhuillear cham. 鈥淥ch, bu ch貌ir dhut fheuchainn,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渙ir tha thu a鈥� dol a chall co-dhi霉. Th猫id mise ann an 脿ite a鈥� mhaighstir-sgoile.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh am muillear cam Albannach agus am balbhan Sasannach a chur c貌mhla ann an se貌mar leotha fh猫in. Shuidh iad mu choinneimh a ch猫ile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuir an Sasannach corrag suas. Chuir am muillear d脿 chorraig an-脿irde mar fhreagairt. Chuir an Sasannach tr矛 corragan suas. Dh霉in am muillear a dh貌rn. An uair sin, thug am fear balbh ubhal a-mach 脿s a鈥� ph貌caid aige. Thug am muillear p矛os de dh鈥檃ran-coirce a-mach 脿s a鈥� ph貌caid aigesan. Nuair a rinn e sin, dh鈥櫭╥rich an Sasannach balbh agus dh鈥檉h脿g e an se貌mar.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh am fear balbh a-mach gu far an robh an Sasannach eile. 鈥淐iamar a chaidh dhut?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an Sasannach eile. Thug e p脿ipear is peansail don fhear eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐haill mi,鈥� sgr矛obh am fear balbh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐iamar a chaill thu?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐huir mi aon chorrag suas,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥渁irson innse nach robh ann ach aon Dia. Chuir esan d脿 chorraig an-脿irde airson a r脿dh gun robh Athair agus Mac ann. Chuir mise tr矛 corragan suas airson a r脿dh gun robh Athair, Mac agus Spiorad Naomh ann. Dh霉in e a dh貌rn airson a r脿dh gur e aonan a bh鈥� anns an tri霉ir sin. Thug mise ubhal a-mach airson sealltainn dha mar a th脿inig peacadh don t-saoghal. Ma thug, thug e fh猫in p矛os de dh鈥檃ran-coirce a-mach airson innse dhomh gum b鈥� e sin aran na beatha. An uair sin, dh鈥櫭╥rich mi is dh鈥檉halbh mi.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a th脿inig am muillear cam gu far an robh an t-Albannach eile, dh鈥檉h脿ighnich an t-Albannach eile mar a chaidh dha.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒h鈥櫭╥rich e agus dh鈥檉halbh e,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do bhuannaich mi.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐iamar?鈥� ars am fear eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淯ill, chuir esan aon chorrag an-脿irde,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁irson a r脿dh nach robh agam ach aon s霉il. Chuir mise na dh脿 suas airson a r脿dh gun robh d脿 sh霉il aigesan. Chuir esan tr矛 corragan suas airson innse dhomh gun robh tr矛 s霉ilean eadarainn. Dh霉in mise mo dh貌rn airson sealltainn gun robh mi feargach, leis gun robh e a鈥� fanaid orm. Thug e ubhal a-mach airson sealltainn dhomh d猫 tha a鈥� f脿s ann an Sasainn. Agus thug mise aran-coirce a-mach 脿s mo ph貌caid fh猫in airson sealltainn dha d猫 tha gar cumail be貌 ann an Alba. Dh鈥櫭╥rich e agus dh鈥檉halbh e. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a bhuannaich mi!鈥�

Am Muillear Cam agus am Balbhan Sasannach: The One-eyed Miller and the Dumb [non-speaking] Englishman; cuiridh mi geall: I鈥檒l bet/wager; as urrainn ceistean a chur: who can ask questions; cuiridh sinn ceud not air: we鈥檒l put a hundred pounds on it; tha maighstir-sgoile againne: we have a schoolmaster; a chuireadh Sasannach sam bith air: that any Englishman would ask him; bu ch貌ir dhut fheuchainn: you should try it; tha thu a鈥� dol a chall co-dhi霉: you鈥檙e going to lose anyway; dh霉in am muillear a dh貌rn: the miller closed his fist; thug am fear balbh ubhal a-mach: the dumb man took an apple out; dh鈥櫭╥rich X agus dh鈥檉h脿g e an se貌mar: X arose and left the room; far an robh an Sasannach eile: where the other Englishman was; ciamar a chaidh dhut?: how did you get on?; thug e p脿ipear is peansail don fhear eile: he gave paper and a pencil to the other man; nach robh ann ach aon Dia: there was only one God; Athair, Mac agus Spiorad Naomh: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; gur e aonan a bh鈥� anns an tri霉ir: that the three were one; tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do bhuannaich mi: I think I won; gun robh tr矛 s霉ilean eadarainn: that we had three eyes between us; feargach, leis gun robh e a鈥� fanaid orm: angry, because he was mocking me; thug e ubhal a-mach: he brought out an apple; airson sealltainn dhomh d猫 tha a鈥� f脿s ann an Sasainn: to show me what grows in England; d猫 tha gar cumail be貌: what keeps us alive.

airson innse dhomh gum b鈥� e sin aran na beatha: to tell me that was the bread of life. Beatha is an unusual word. It is assuredly feminine, as can be seen from the genitive form with the article ie na beatha; some of you will be familiar with the following from the Bible: Agus thuirt 脤osa riutha, Is mise aran na beatha 鈥淎nd Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life鈥� (John 6/35). But it sounds intuitively masculine (being broad in vowel terms) and it doesn鈥檛 inflect with case, except incurring lenition with the article in the nominative singular case ie a鈥� bheatha; again, in the Bible, we have An t矛 a tha a鈥� creidsinn annamsa, tha a鈥� bheatha mhaireannach aige 鈥淗e that believeth in me hath [the] everlasting life鈥� (John 6/47). It also lenites under other grammatical influences eg anns an uisge-bheatha 鈥渋n the whisky鈥� and 鈥檚 e do bheatha 鈥測ou鈥檙e welcome鈥�.

as urrainn ceistean a chur nach urrainn duine sam bith a fhreagairt: who can pose questions that nobody can answer.

听

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