大象传媒

Nuair a r脿inig an t-Urramach Iain Ros S矛ona ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1872), chaidh e gu baile Chefoo, air a bheil Yantai an-diugh. Ach bha miseanairidh Ameireaganach st猫idhichte ann a sin mu thr脿th, agus chuir am ministear Albannach roimhe dhol thar a鈥� chuain gu ruige d霉thaich mh貌r Mhanchuria, anns nach robh ach aon mhiseanaraidh Pr貌stanach.

Cha deach c霉isean gu math dha aig an toiseach, ge-t脿. Goirid 脿s d猫idh breith a鈥� chiad leanaibh aca, chaochail a bhean. Ach dh鈥檉huirich Ros far an robh e 鈥� ann am port mara air cladach Mhanchuria. Nuair a bha e air gu le貌r dhen ch脿nan ionnsachadh, chaidh e air chuairt gu na bailtean m貌ra ann am meadhan na d霉thcha, fad air falbh bhon mhuir.

Bha e faiceallach na chanadh e, gun a bhith a鈥� cur s矛os air creideamh an t-sluaigh. Dh鈥檌onnsaich e m貌ran mu Chonfucius, gus am b鈥� urrainn dha coimeas a dh猫anamh eadar Cr矛osdachd agus an creideamh d霉thchasach. Agus nam f脿sadh daoine feargach leis, dh鈥檉halbhadh e gu baile eile, is thilleadh e nuair a bha gnothaichean socair a-rithist. Nuair a bha e a鈥� siubhal mar seo, bhiodh e a鈥� fuireach ann an taighean-seinnse bochda salach agus cha bhiodh pr矛obhaideachd sam bith aige. Ach lean e air, a鈥� feuchainn ri daoine iompachadh mar a b鈥� urrainn dha. Bha e gu h-脿raidh ag amas air daoine foghlamaichte, oir bha e dhen bheachd gum biodh a mhisean na b鈥� 猫ifeachdaiche anns an d貌igh sin.

Mean air mhean thog e 霉idh anns na bha a鈥� dol air taobh thall cr矛och Mhanchuria, ann an Coir矛a, r矛oghachd a bha an 矛re mhath d霉inte do dhaoine 脿 d霉thchannan eile. Is iongantach mura robh e mothachail do na thachair don Urramach R G Thomas, ministear Albannach a chaidh a Choir矛a ann an an ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1865), agus e a鈥� toirt B矛obaill seachad don t-sluagh. Bha e ann an soitheach a chaidh air na creagan nuair a bha tr脿igh mh貌r ann. Chuir buidheann de Choir矛anaich teine ris an t-soitheach agus mhuirt iad a h-uile duine a bh鈥� air b貌rd.

Bha Iain Ros air mothachadh gu robh gu le貌r de dhaoine a bhuineadh do Choir矛a air a dhol a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Manchuria faisg air Abhainn Yalu. Shaoil e gum b鈥� urrainn dha Coir矛anaich a thoirt gu Cr矛osd gun a bhith a鈥� cur miseanaraidhean c猫in don r矛oghachd sin idir. Dh鈥檌onnsaich e Coir矛anais leis an amas Coir矛anaich ann am Manchuria iompachadh.

Air turas dhachaigh fhuair e taic bho Chomann a鈥� Bh矛obaill ann an Alba, agus bho charaidean, agus thug e uidheamachd chlo-bhualaidh air ais leis a Mhanchuria. Dh鈥檈adar-theangaich e na soisgeulan a r猫ir Lucais is E貌in agus, c貌ig bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, thug e a-mach eadar-theangachadh sl脿n dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh. Bha grunn Choir矛anach aige a-nise nan Cr矛osdaidhean, agus chaidh iadsan thairis air a鈥� chr矛ch gu ruige Coir矛a far an do sgaoil iad an Tiomnadh Nuadh, agus teachdaireachd na h-Eaglaise, am measg an t-sluaigh.

A bharrachd air an Tiomnadh Nuadh, sgr矛obh Iain Ros eachdraidh de Choir矛a, eachdraidh de na r矛ghrean Manchu, leabhar mun chreideamh t霉sail ann an S矛onaidh, leabhraichean taice do luchd-ionnsachaidh S矛onais is Coir矛anais, agus grunn leabhraichean-i霉il air a鈥� Bh矛oball ann an S矛onais.

Chun an l脿 an-diugh tha Pr貌stanaich ann an Coir矛a a鈥� toirt urram m貌r don Urramach Iain Ros, ged a tha amharas agam gu bheil an t-uabhas ann an Alba nach cuala guth air a-riamh.

Faclan na seachdaine: An t-Urramach Iain Ros: The Reverend John Ross; Pr貌stanach: Protestant; d霉thchasach: indigenous; dh鈥檉halbhadh e: he would leave,go; salach: dirty; pr矛obhaideachd: privacy; B矛obaill: Bibles; c猫in: foreign; r矛ghrean: kings.

Abairtean na seachdaine: G脿idheal a bhuineadh do Ros an Ear: a Gael who belonged to Easter Ross; bha miseanaraidh Ameireaganach st猫idhichte mu thr脿th: an American missionary was already established; chuir X roimhe dhol thar a鈥� chuain: X decided to go across the sea; cha deach c霉isean gu math dha: things didn鈥檛 go well for him; chaidh e air chuairt gu na bailtean m貌ra: he went on a tour to the cities; gun a bhith a鈥� cur s矛os air X: without demeaning X; nam f脿sadh daoine feargach leis: if people became angry with him; a鈥� feuchainn ri daoine iompachadh: trying to convert people; ag amas air daoine foghlamaichte: aiming on educated people; gum biodh a mhisean na b鈥� 猫ifeachdaiche: that his mission would be more effective; air taobh thall cr矛och Mhanchuria: on the other side of the border of Manchuria; is iongantach mura robh e mothachail do X: he would likely have been cognisant of X; nuair a bha tr脿igh mh貌r ann: when there was a low tide; dh鈥檈adar-theangaich e na soisgeulan a r猫ir Lucais is E貌in; he translated the gospels according to Luke and John; thairis air a鈥� chr矛ch gu ruige Coir矛a: over the border to Korea; leabhar mun chreideamh th霉sail ann an S矛onaidh: a book about the original religion in China; leabhraichean-i霉il air a鈥� Bh矛oball ann an S矛onais: guide books to the Bible in Chinese; a鈥� toirt urram m貌r: greatly respect; nach cuala guth air a-riamh: that never heard mention of him.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha grunn Choir矛anach aige a-nise nan Cr矛osdaidhean: he now had some Koreans who were Christians. Can you tell me the case of both of the proper nouns here? Coir矛anach is the genitive plural of Coir矛anach, a Korean (the nominative plural is Coir矛anaich); it is in this case following grunn (several 鈥渙f鈥� Koreans). Cr矛osdaidhean is the dative plural, which is today identical to the nominative plural. The literal translation of the Gaelic sentence is 鈥渟everal Koreans were at him now [and who] were in their Christians鈥�. You will see how idiomatic translations are much better than literal ones!

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: thug e a-mach eadar-theangachadh sl脿n dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh: he brought out (published) a full translation of the New Testament. Thoir a-mach: this can work idiomatically in several different ways eg to acquire, reach, gain, give out, bring out.