大象传媒

Anns a鈥� Mh脿rt ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1848), bha c霉isean duilich ann an Ceap Breatainn. Bha gort anns an amharc. Bha na daoine gann de bhiadh agus gann de sh矛ol. Dh鈥檌arr iad air an riaghaltas taic a thoirt dhaibh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Seo p脿irt de litir a bha anns a鈥� Chape Breton Spectator: 鈥淐han eil s矛ol de she貌rsa sam bith aig barrachd na aon duine 脿s gach c貌ig ceud. Mura faighear gr猫im air s矛ol ... bidh ... gort mh貌r ann san ath gheamhradh... Tha m貌ran ... a鈥� beachdachadh air falbh do na St脿itean [Aonaichte] ...鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha a鈥� ch霉is 猫iginneach. An do mhothaich sibh d猫 a鈥� bhliadhna a bh鈥� ann? Ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1848). Bha gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta ann. Bha sin a鈥� d猫anamh cron air a鈥� bhunt脿ta, mar a bha ann an Alba is 脠irinn.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha feadhainn d貌chasach, ge-t脿. Bha gn矛omhachas math aig fear, Iain Rothach. Bha e a鈥� reic fiodha bho na coilltean. Bha e a鈥� p脿igheadh airgead math. Bha e de貌nach fiodh a cheannach bho na daoine. Bhiodh airgead aig na daoine an uair sin.

Ach chuir Tormod MacLe貌id stad orra. Dh鈥檌arr Tormod orra gun a bhith a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri Iain Rothach. Carson? Uill, bha Tormod ag r脿dh gu robh an Rothach ri c霉l-mh霉taireachd. Sin smuggling. C霉l-mh霉taireachd. Bha e, a r猫ir Thormoid, a鈥� toirt branndaidh a-steach gu m矛-laghail. 鈥橲 e peacadh a bha sin. Ged a bha acras air na daoine, dh鈥檌arr Tormod orra gun a dhol faisg air b霉th an Rothaich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mun 脿m sin, fhuair Tormod litir agus parsail 脿 Astr脿ilia. Bha iad bho a mhac, D貌mhnall. Bha D貌mhnall a鈥� fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia. Bha e na dheasaiche air p脿ipear-naidheachd. Chuir e grunn lethbhreacan dhen ph脿ipear anns a鈥� pharsail. Leugh Tormod iad. Leugh e mu thalamh math agus aimsir mhath. Leugh feadhainn eile na p脿ipearan-naidheachd cuideachd. Th貌isich feadhainn air beachdachadh air a dhol a dh鈥橝str脿ilia.

Ach bha Tormod seasgad 鈥檚 a h-ochd bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. Bha a鈥� bhean, M脿iri, c貌rr is seasgad. Cha robh ise a鈥� cumail gu math. An robh iadsan deiseil airson falbh gu d霉thaich eile? Ch矛 sinn de rinn iad an ath-sheachdain.聽 聽 聽 聽聽

Faclan is abairtean: bha c霉isean duilich: things were difficult; bha gort anns an amharc: a famine was in prospect; gann de bhiadh agus gann de sh矛ol: short of food and short of seed; barrachd na aon duine 脿s gach c貌ig ceud: more than one person in five hundred; mura faighear gr猫im air s矛ol: if seed is not obtained; a鈥� beachdachadh air falbh: considering leaving; 猫颈驳颈苍苍别补肠丑: desperate; an do mhothaich sibh d猫 a鈥� bhliadhna a bh鈥� ann?: did you notice what year it was?; gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta: the potato blight; a鈥� d猫anamh cron air a鈥� bhunt脿ta: damaging the potato [crop]; bha feadhainn d貌chasach, ge-t脿: some were hopeful, however; bha gn矛omhachas math aig Iain Rothach: John Munro had a good business; Bha e de貌nach fiodh a cheannach: he was willing to buy wood; bhiodh airgead aig na daoine an uair sin: the people would then have money; chuir Tormod MacLe貌id stad orra: Norman MacLeod stopped them; dh鈥檌arr Tormod orra gun a bhith a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri Iain Rothach: Norman asked them not to have dealings with John Munro; gu robh an Rothach ri c霉l-mh霉taireachd: that Munro was involved in smuggling; a鈥� toirt branndaidh a-steach gu m矛-laghail: importing brandy illegally; peacadh: sin; gun a dhol faisg air b霉th an Rothaich: not to go near Munro鈥檚 shop; litir agus parsail 脿 Astr脿ilia: a letter and parcel from Australia; bha e na dheasaiche air p脿ipear-naidheachd: he was the editor of a newspaper; grunn lethbhreacan: several copies; leugh e mu thalamh math agus aimsir mhath: he read about good land and good weather; th貌isich feadhainn air beachdachadh air a dhol a dh鈥橝str脿ilia: some start to consider going to Australia; bha a鈥� bhean c貌rr is seasgad: his wife was more than sixty [years old]; cha robh ise a鈥� cumail gu math: she didn鈥檛 keep well; an robh iadsan deiseil airson falbh gu d霉thaich eile?: were they (emphatic) ready to leave for another country?; ch矛 sinn de rinn iad: we shall see what they did.