大象传媒

Chuir mi cr矛och air an Litir mu dheireadh leis an t-seann sgeulachd aig Aesop 鈥� 鈥淎ndrocles agus an Le貌mhann鈥�. Bha Androcles na thr脿ill. Bha e air droigheann a sp矛onadh 脿 spog an le貌mhainn nuair a bha iad c貌mhla anns a鈥� choille. Agus nuair a chunnaic an le貌mhann Androcles anns an raon-sabaid, dh鈥檃ithnich e e. An 脿ite a mharbhadh, 鈥檚 ann a dh鈥檌mlich e l脿mhan Androcles. Bha an R矛gh dhen bheachd gu robh sin iongantach agus leig e an le貌mhann agus an duine ma sgaoil. 鈥橲 e teachdaireachd na sgeulachd gu bheil taingealachd na chomharra air uaisleachd.

Coltach ri Androcles, bha Aesop e fh猫in na thr脿ill. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do rugadh e timcheall air a鈥� bhliadhna sia ceud is fichead (620) RC 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin Ro Chr矛osd. Bha e ann an tr脿illeachd do dhithis 鈥� Xanthus agus Jadmon. Agus 鈥檚 e Jadmon a leig ma sgaoil e 鈥� a chionn 鈥檚 gu robh e cho inntinneach is eirmseach.

Bha e ag obair airson greis mar thosgaire do r矛gh Greugach. Ach turas a bha seo chaidh e gu ruige Delphi le st貌ras m貌r de dh鈥櫭瞨 airson a thoirt do mhuinntir an 脿ite. Ach ghabh Aesop droch bheachd air muinntir Dhelphi agus dhi霉lt e an t-貌r a thoirt seachad. Bha muinntir a鈥� bhaile feargach agus chuir iad Aesop gu b脿s.

Co-dhi霉 鈥� air ais don fhacal sp矛on. Tha e c脿irdeach do spine ann am Beurla. Tha na dh脿, a r猫ir choltais, a鈥� tighinn bhon fhacal Laideann spina a tha a鈥� ciallachadh droigheann no bior. O shean bha sp矛n a鈥� ciallachadh droigheann ann an G脿idhlig cuideachd. An dearbh rud a bhiodh duine a鈥� sp矛onadh nam faigheadh e fear na chraiceann.

Tha sin gam thoirt gu geama. Seann gheama air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd air a bheil Sp矛onadh Anna Gh貌rach. Sp矛onadh Anna Gh貌rach. Seo mar a tha e ag obair. Tha cuideigin air a thaghadh. Gabhaidh c脿ch 鈥淎nna Gh貌rach鈥� air an fhear no t猫 sin. Chan eil e gu diofar co-dhi霉 tha e no i fireann no boireann.

Bidh s霉ilean Anna air an c貌mhdachadh le bann cl貌. Chan fhaic i rud sam bith. Bidh cuideigin eile ag r脿dh rithe an uair sin, 鈥淭ha do mh脿thair gad iarraidh.鈥� Bidh Anna a鈥� freagairt, 鈥淐arson?鈥�

Bidh am fear no t猫 eile ag radh, 鈥淎鈥� gabhail do bhrochan鈥�. Agus bidh Anna a鈥� freagairt, 鈥淐脿ite a bheil an sp脿in?鈥�

Bidh am fear no t猫 eile ag r脿dh an uair sin, 鈥淭ionndaidh mun cuairt tr矛 uairean agus amhairc air a son.鈥�

Leis a sin, bidh Anna a鈥� feuchainn ri buntainn no greimeachadh air daoine eile. Agus bidh iadsan a鈥� gabhail sp貌rs. Bidh iad a鈥� putadh Anna. No bidh iad a鈥� tarraing air a cuid aodaich 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin sp矛onadh. Fhad 鈥檚 a tha sin a鈥� tachairt bidh feadhainn ag 猫igheachd, 鈥淪p矛onadh Anna Gh貌rach!鈥� Tha an geama a鈥� tighinn gu cr矛ch nuair a gheibh Anna gr猫im air cuideigin eile.

Bha geamannan mar sin ann air feadh na G脿idhealtachd agus ann an 脿iteachan eile a bharrachd. Bidh cuid e貌lach air mar Blind Man鈥檚 Buff. Ann an 脿iteachan air t矛r-m貌r na G脿idhealtachd, 鈥檚 e Dallan Dubh a bh鈥� air a鈥� gheama. Ach ann an eileanan Earra-Gh脿idheal bha daoine e貌lach air fon ainm Sp矛onadh Anna Gh貌rach.

Faclan na seachdaine: raon-sabaid: fighting arena; brochan: porridge.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha Androcles na thr脿ill: Androcles was a slave; bha e air droigheann a sp矛onadh 脿 spog an le貌mhainn: he had plucked a thorn from the lion鈥檚 paw; dh鈥檃ithnich e e: he recognised him; leig e an X agus Y ma sgaoil: he released X and Y; gu bheil taingealachd na chomharra air uaisleachd: that gratefulness is a mark of nobility; 620 RC: 620 BC; a chionn 鈥檚 gu robh e cho inntinneach is eirmseach: because he was so intelligent/interesting and sharp-witted; airson greis mar thosgaire do r矛gh Greugach: for a while as an ambassador for a Greek king; chaidh e gu ruige Delphi le st貌ras m貌r de dh鈥櫭瞨: he went to Delphi with a great store of gold; ghabh Aesop droch bheachd air muinntir X: Aesop took a dislike to the people of X; chuir iad Aesop gu b脿s: they killed Aesop; nam faigheadh e fear na chraiceann: if he got one in his skin; Sp矛onadh Anna Gh貌rach: the plucking of foolish Anna; chan eil e gu diofar co-dhi霉 tha e no i fireann no boireann: it doesn鈥檛 matter whether he or she is male or female; tha s霉ilean Anna air an c貌mhdachadh le bann cl貌: Anna鈥檚 eyes are covered by a blindfold; tha do mh脿thair gad iarraidh: your mother wants you; tionndaidh mun cuairt tri uairean agus amhairc air a son: turn around three times and look for it: bidh iad a鈥� tarraing air a cuid aodaich: they tug her clothes; ann an 脿iteachan eile a bharrachd: in other places in addition; eileanan Earra-Gh脿idheal: the islands of Argyll.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: An 脿ite a mharbhadh, 鈥檚 ann a dh鈥檌mlich e l脿mhan Androcles: rather than kill him, he licked Androcles鈥檚 hands. Why did I use a 鈥檚 ann construction here? Simply to emphasise the verb that followed 鈥� dh鈥檌mlich. I might have said an 脿ite a mharbhadh, dh鈥檌mlich e l脿mhan Androcles 鈥� which would have been acceptable. But the use of the emphatic verb is (with ann) gives a little more emphasis and is commonly used in such a situation.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha e ann an tr脿illeachd do dhithis: he was in slavery to two men. An alternative translation (and perhaps a way to remember the Gaelic word) is 鈥渉e was in thrall to two men鈥�. The English word thrall and the Gaelic tr脿ill share a common origin (from the old Norse).