大象传媒

Bidh fios agaibh gu bheil fear anns an Taigh Gheal ann am Washington DC an-dr脿sta aig a bheil sinnsireachd Albannach. Ach seo ceist dhuibh. C貌 a鈥� chiad cheann-suidhe Ameireaganach a th脿inig a dh鈥橝lba? Uill, cha robh e na cheann-suidhe aig an 脿m. Bha e d矛reach air a dhreuchd a leigeil seachad an d猫idh ochd bliadhna anns an Taigh Gheal.

A bheil am fuasgladh agaibh? Ulysses S Grant. Ceann-suidhe nan St脿itean Aonaichte eadar ochd ceud deug, seasgad 始s a naoi (1869) agus seachdad 始s a seachd (1877). Bha e air a bhith ainmeil mar shaighdear. Bha e os cionn Arm an Aonaidh anns a鈥� Chogadh Chatharra nuair a bha Abraham Lincoln na cheann-suidhe. Bha Lincoln air cuireadh a thoirt don Ghranndach agus a bhean Julia a dhol don taigh-chluiche c貌mhla riutha an oidhche a chaidh an ceann-suidhe a mhurt. Bha an Granndach fortanach gun do leig e an cothrom seachad oir bha e a鈥� dol a Philadelphia.

Goirid an d猫idh don d脿rna teirm aige mar cheann-suidhe thighinn gu ceann, dh鈥檉halbh Grannd, a bhean agus am mac, a bha naoi bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois, air turas air feadh an t-saoghail. Bha iad air falbh airson d脿 bhliadhna gu leth agus choinnich iad ri daoine cli霉iteach, leithid na Banrigh Bhictoria, a鈥� Ph脿p agus Tsar na Ruis.

R脿inig iad Alba air an latha mu dheireadh dhen L霉nastal agus fhuair iad f脿ilte mh貌r oir bha sinnsireachd Albannach aig a鈥� Ghranndach air gach taobh de a theaghlach. Chaidh iad a Chaisteal Dh霉n 脠ideann agus cuideachd a dh鈥橝bbotsford anns na Cr矛ochan 鈥� an t-seann dachaigh aig an sgr矛obhadair ainmeil, Sir Bhaltair Scott. Bha Grannd uabhasach d猫idheil air na leabhraichean aig Scott. Chaidh e cuideachd a dh鈥橧nbhir 脌ir oir bha e measail mar an ceudna air sgr矛obhadh Raibeirt Bhurns.

R脿inig iad Inbhir Nis air an ochdamh latha dhen t-Sultain, agus bha coinneamh phoblach ann an Talla a鈥� Chi霉il air Sr脿id an Aonaidh far an do bhuilich a鈥� Chomhairle Saorsa a鈥� Bhaile air. B鈥� esan a鈥� chiad Ameireaganach riamh air an deach an t-urram sin a bhuileachadh. Ach an robh an Granndach fh猫in toilichte mu dheidhinn? Tha e doirbh a r脿dh. A r猫ir choltais, bha e a鈥� f脿s sg矛th de bhith a鈥� coinneachadh ri srainnsearan agus a鈥� breith air an l脿mhan, agus thuirt e sin turas no dh脿.

Chaidh e a thadhal air a鈥� Mhorair Chat ann an D霉n Robain ach dhi霉lt e cothrom a dhol a shealg an sin. Eucoltach ri gu le貌r de chinn-suidhe Ameireaganach, cha robh e na shealgair.聽

Bha 霉idh aig a鈥� Ghranndach ann an teicne貌las. Mar sin, bha e inntinneach dha a bhith a鈥� faicinn nan crann-sm霉ide aig a鈥� Mhorair Chat a bha an t-uachdaran an d貌chas a leigeadh leis m貌intich Chataibh a leasachadh airson 脿iteachas. Aig a鈥� cheann thall cha robh iad soirbheachail.

Agus chaidh e a Dh霉n D猫 airson an drochaid as fhaide anns an t-saoghal fhaicinn 鈥� an t猫 thar Linne Thatha nach robh buileach deiseil aig an 脿m. D脿 bhliadhna an d猫idh sin, bhiodh an drochaid a鈥� tuiteam ann an stoirm, ag adhbharachadh b脿s seachdad 始s a c貌ig duine.

Agus ciamar a ch貌rd Alba ris? Chan eil mi cinnteach. Gu m矛-fhortanach, cha d鈥� fhuair e cothrom a dhol a Bhaile nan Granndach. Agus co-dhi霉, a r猫ir choltais, 始s e Iapan a b鈥� fhe脿rr a ch貌rd ris am measg dh霉thchannan an t-saoghail.聽

Abairtean na Litreach: gu bheil fear anns an Taigh Gheal aig a bheil sinnsireachd Albannach: that there is a man in the White House who has Scottish ancestry; bha e d矛reach air a dhreuchd a leigeil seachad: he had just left his job; os cionn Arm an Aonaidh anns a鈥� Chogadh Chatharra: in charge of the Union Army during the Civil War; bha Lincoln air cuireadh a thoirt don Ghranndach agus a bhean: Lincoln had invited Grant and his wife; an latha mu dheireadh dhen L霉nastal: the last day of August; a dh鈥橧nbhir 脌ir oir bha e measail mar an ceudna air sgr矛obhadh Raibeirt Bhurns: to Ayr because he was likewise keen on the writing of Robert Burns; far an do bhuilich a鈥� Chomhairle Saorsa a鈥� Bhaile air: where the Council bestowed the Freedom of the Town on him; a r猫ir choltais: apparently; bha e a鈥� f脿s sg矛th de bhith a鈥� coinneachadh ri srainnsearan agus a鈥� breith air an l脿mhan: he was getting fed up meeting with strangers and shaking their hands; a thadhal air a鈥� Mhorair Chat: to visit the Duke of Sutherland; dhi霉lt e cothrom a dhol a shealg: he refused an opportunity to go hunting; eucoltach ri gu le貌r de chinn-suidhe Ameireaganach, cha robh e na shealgair: unlike plenty of American presidents, he was not a hunter; a bha an t-uachdaran an d貌chas a leigeadh leis m貌intich Chataibh a leasachadh airson 脿iteachas: that the laird hoped would allow him to develop the Sutherland peatlands for agriculture; an t猫 thar Linne Thatha nach robh buileach deiseil aig an 脿m: the one over the Tay that wasn鈥檛 quite ready at the time; a鈥� tuiteam ann an stoirm, ag adhbharachadh b脿s seachdad 始s a c貌ig duine: falling in a storm, causing the death of 75 people; 始s e Iapan a b鈥� fhe脿rr a ch貌rd ris am measg dh霉thchannan an t-saoghail: it鈥檚 Japan that he most enjoyed among the countries of the world.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: an t-seann dachaigh: the old home. Why is the t- in front of seann? Because dachaigh is feminine so the adjective preceding the noun takes on a feminine structure, and feminine nouns starting with 鈥榮鈥� carry an intrusive t- after the article in the nominative singular case eg an t-seirbheis.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: air feadh an t-saoghail: throughout the world.