大象传媒

Nuair a nochd Tormod MacLe貌id mu choinneamh seisean na h-Eaglais cha do gh猫ill e. Cha do gh猫ill am ministear, an t-Ollamh Ros, nas m貌. Thugadh fichead l脿 do Thormod mus cailleadh e a dhreuchd mar thidsear. Choisich Tormod a-mach 脿s an taigh.

Ach cha deach e fada. Bha uisge m貌r air a bhith ann fad an l脿 agus bha tuil san abhainn faisg air a鈥� mhansa. Chan fhaigheadh Tormod a-null. Th脿inig an oidhche. Bha Tormod bog fliuch. Cha b鈥� urrainn dha c脿il a dh猫anamh ach tilleadh don mhansa. Fhuair e a-steach don chidsin gun fhiosta do dhuine agus bha e ann a sin greis. Ach chaidh a lorg le searbhant.

Thug am ministear cuireadh dha tighinn don t-se貌mar-shuidhe far an robh e fh猫in is a bhean, feadhainn eile, agus fear de na h-猫ildearan a bh鈥� air a bhith ga cheasnachadh tron l脿. Bha Tormod air a n脿rachadh. Ach cha b鈥� urrainn dha a bhith m矛-mhodhail. Agus chaidh f脿ilte chr矛dheil a chur air. Fhuair e cuid oidhche anns a鈥� mhansa. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha seo a鈥� tachairt bha a bhean M脿iri a鈥� coiseachd an naoi m矛le don abhainn, agus i a鈥� gabhail dragh nach robh sgeul air an duine aice. Fhuair i fh猫in cuid oidhche le n脿baidh a鈥� mhinisteir air taobh eile na h-aibhne bhon mhansa.

脌s d猫idh fichead l脿 chaidh an sgoil a ghlasadh agus bha l脿ithean Thormoid mar thidsear seachad. Bha e fh猫in is M脿iri airson 鈥檚 gum biodh an leanabh aca, Iain, air a bhaisteadh le Ministear Loch Carrainn, an t-Urramach Lachlan MacCoinnich. Choisich iad ceathrad m矛le airson a鈥� bhaistidh. Ach, nuair a r脿inig iad Loch Carrann, fhuair iad a-mach gu robh Mgr MacCoinnich airson 鈥檚 gun tigeadh Tormod agus an t-Oll. Ros gu r猫ite. Thug e c貌mhla sa mhansa aig鈥� iad. Ach cha do dh鈥檕braich e. Bha cus droch fhaireachdainn ann eatarra airson tighinn gu c貌rdadh. Chaidh Tormod is M脿iri dhachaigh gun Iain a bhaisteadh.

Th貌isich Tormod air beachdachadh air eilthireachd a dh猫anamh a dh鈥橝meireagaidh a Tuath. Ach an toiseach bhiodh aige ris na fiachan a bh鈥� air a ph脿igheadh. Chaidh e a dh鈥橧nbhir 脵ige airson iasgach. Bha tuarastal math aige ann a sin. Ro dheireadh na bliadhna, bha e air na fiachan gu l猫ir aige a ph脿igheadh, agus bha e air gu le貌r de dh鈥檃irgead a sh脿bhaladh airson M脿iri is Iain fhad 鈥檚 a bha esan thall thairis. Anns an Iuchar ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a seachd-deug (1817), she貌l e air a Frances Ann a bha a鈥� d猫anamh air Pictou ann an Alba Nuadh.

Bha stoirm mh貌r ann fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad aig muir agus th貌isich an soitheach air uisge a leigeil a-steach. Ged a bha a h-uile fear air b貌rd a鈥� gabhail turas air na pumpaichean, cha robh c霉isean a鈥� dol gu math. Thug an sgiobair a h-uile duine cruinn. Dh鈥檌nnis e dhaibh gu robh e a鈥� dol a thilleadh a dh鈥櫭坕rinn. Bha Tormod gu dubh na aghaidh. Bha esan airson cumail a dol. Chaidh e fh猫in is an caiptean a-mach air a ch猫ile, agus a h-uile duine eile gan coimhead. Mu dheireadh thall, fhuair Tormod taic an luchd-shiubhail airson cumail orra gu ruige Alba Nuadh. R脿inig iad Pictou as t-Sultain.

Fhuair Tormod tac far an robh e trang ann a bhith a鈥� leasachadh na talmhainn. Ach L脿 na S脿baid, bhiodh e ri searmonachadh. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an tug e buaidh mh貌r air m貌ran dhen t-sluagh. 鈥淐貌 th鈥� ann an Tormod [MacLe貌id]?鈥� sgr矛obh fear. 鈥淭ha searmonaiche a dh鈥櫭╥rich air a cheann fh猫in a tha a鈥� cumail a-mach nach eil ministear aig Cr矛osda ann an Eaglais na h-Alba air fad.鈥�

Faclan na Litreach: tuil: flood; cuireadh: invitation; m矛-mhodhail: bad-mannered; n脿baidh: neighbour; Loch Carrann: Lochcarron; tuarastal: wage; Alba Nuadh: Nova Scotia; tac: plot of land.

Abairtean na Litreach: seisean na h-Eaglais: the kirk session; cha do gh猫ill am ministear: the minister did not submit; thugadh fichead l脿 do Thormod mus cailleadh e a dhreuchd mar thidsear: Norman was given twenty days before he would lose his job as a teacher; chan fhaigheadh e a-null: he couldn鈥檛 get over; gun fhiosta do dhuine: without anyone knowing; fear de na h-猫ildearan a bh鈥� air a bhith ga cheasnachadh: one of the elders who had been questioning him; fhad 鈥檚 a bha seo a鈥� tachairt: while this was happening; nach robh sgeul air an duine aice: that there was no sign of her husband; gum biodh an leanabh aca air a bhaisteadh: that their baby would be baptised; gun tigeadh Tormod agus an t-Oll. Ros gu r猫ite: that Norman and Dr. Ross would come to a settlement; bha cus droch fhaireachdainn ann eatarra: there was too much bad feeling between them; gun Iain a bhaisteadh: without baptising John; beachdachadh air eilthireachd a dh猫anamh: thinking about emigrating; bhiodh aige ris na fiachan a bh鈥� air a ph脿igheadh: he would have to pay off his debts; chaidh e a dh鈥橧nbhir 脵ige airson iasgach: he went to Wick for [the] fishing; bha e air gu le貌r de dh鈥檃irgead a sh脿bhaladh: he had saved enough money; fhad 鈥檚 a bha esan thall thairis: while he was overseas; a bha a鈥� d猫anamh air Pictou: which was bound for Pictou; th貌isich an soitheach air uisge a leigeil a-steach: the vessel began to let water in; chaidh e fh猫in is an caiptean a-mach air a ch猫ile: he and the captain argued vigorously; fhuair Tormod taic an luchd-shiubhail airson cumail orra: Norman got the travellers鈥� support for continuing; a鈥� leasachadh na talmhainn: developing the land; searmonaiche a dh鈥櫭╥rich air a cheann fh猫in: a self-made preacher.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha Tormod air a n脿rachadh: Norman was ashamed. We would say of M脿iri 鈥� bha M脿iri air a n脿rachadh. In the written form there is no difference as we do not indicate a lenited 鈥渘鈥� orthographically. But, strictly speaking, the masculine example would have a lenited n following the masculine third person singular possessive article; the feminine would be unlenited. How should a learner deal with such niceties? You could ignore them and you would largely get away with it. But if you are fine tuning your spoken Gaelic, ask a native speaker for assistance. Start with a verb where the 鈥渘鈥� is followed by a narrow vowel eg bha e/i air a neartachadh. Here the difference is more obvious. Then try bha e/i air a n脿rachadh. Listen very carefully!

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Fhuair e cuid oidhche anns a鈥� mhansa: he received a night鈥檚 lodging in the manse. This can also be expressed with cuid na h-oidhche.