大象传媒

Ch貌rd e gu m貌r ri Iain Sti霉bhart Blackie a bhith na oileanach ann an G枚ttingen anns a鈥� Ghearmailt. Ach thug athair air gluasad a Bherlin. Cha do ch貌rd e ris idir anns a鈥� chathair sin anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach, oir bha Berlin fada na bu mh貌 na G枚ttingen, agus bha na h-oileanaich sgapte air fheadh. Mean air mhean, ge-t脿, fhuair e caraidean 霉ra.

Bha athair an d貌chas gum biodh Iain airson a dhol a-steach don mhinistrealachd ann an Alba agus, gun teagamh, bha 霉idh mh貌r aige ann an gnothaichean na h-Eaglaise. Agus, fhad 鈥檚 a bha e anns a鈥� Ghearmailt, bhiodh e tric a鈥� deasbad a鈥� chreideimh aige le oileanaich eile. Bha e na Chr矛osdaidh gun teagamh, ach th貌isich e air f脿s m矛-chinnteach mu Aidmheil Westminster. Cha robh e ag aontachadh ris, agus bha sin a鈥� ciallachadh nach fhaigheadh e obair mar mhinistear ann an Eaglais na h-Alba. Dh鈥檌arr e air athair leigeil leis dreuchd air choreigin eile a thaghadh.

Thairis air geamhradh ann am Berlin, r脿inig Iain l脿n-fhileantachd ann an Gearmailtis, agus leugh e m貌ran de na leabhraichean clasaigeach anns a鈥� ch脿nan sin. Agus ghabh e sp猫is mh貌r mh貌r do mhuinntir na d霉thcha. Ach bha an 霉ine aige anns a鈥� Ghearmailt seachad.

Bha e am beachd dhol a Pharis ach, an toiseach, ghabh e cuairt tron Eadailt agus ch貌rd e ris gu m貌r. Bha e dhen bheachd gum biodh e math dha fuireach anns an R貌imh airson greis airson tuilleadh ionnsachadh mu litreachas nan R貌manach is nan Greugach. 鈥橲 ann nuair a bha e san Eadailt a cho-dh霉in e d猫 d矛reach a bha e ag iarraidh a bhith aige mar dhreuchd. Bha e airson a bhith na Phroifeasair de Dhaonnachd ann an oilthigh ann an Alba.

Chuir e rud eile roimhe cuideachd nuair a bha e anns an R貌imh 鈥� bha e airson connspaid adhbharachadh mu dheidhinn mar a bhiodh luchd-teagaisg nan oilthighean a鈥� labhairt na seann Ghreugais 鈥� gu ce脿rr, na bheachd. Bha esan a鈥� cumail a-mach 鈥� agus lean e aig ceann na connspaid seo fad a bheatha 鈥� gum bu ch貌ir d貌igh-labhairt an t-seann ch脿nain a bhith st猫idhichte air Greugais mar a bha i fhathast ga bruidhinn anns a鈥� Ghr猫ig.

Bha athair de貌nach airgead a thoirt dha airson a bhith a鈥� siubhal anns a鈥� Ghr猫ig, ach dhi霉lt Iain an cothrom. Cha robh e airson a bhith an eisimeil carthannas athar gu s矛orraidh, agus bha obair aige ri dh猫anamh anns an R貌imh. Nuair a th脿inig an rannsachadh aige anns an R貌imh gu cr矛ch, rinn e air Lunnainn. Ach cha do ghabh e an t-slighe 脿bhaisteach.

Choisich e fh猫in is caraid Gearmailteach gu ruige Floireans 鈥� da cheud gu leth m矛le thairis air naoi l脿. An uair sin choisich iad tro Bhologna gu ruige Bheineas, far an d鈥� fhuair iad coidse a Mhunich. R脿inig e Lunnainn aig toiseach na Samhna, fhathast le aodach air a bha freagarrach airson an t-samhraidh anns an Eadailt.

Airson beagan bhliadhnaichean bha e ann an D霉n Eideann ag obair ann an lagh. Ach lean e air le bhith a鈥� leughadh is ag eadar-theangachadh leabhraichean le sgr矛obhadairean Greugach agus Gearmailteach. Gu m矛-fhortanach dha, cha robh cathair Daonnachd b脿n ann an oilthigh sam bith ann an Alba, agus cha robh dreuchd sam bith eile, a bhiodh freagarrach dha, b脿n a bharrachd.

Ach dh鈥檃tharraich c霉isean dha ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a naoi (1839), nuair a chaidh aontachadh Cathair Laidinn a st猫idheachadh ann an Colaiste Mharischal ann an Obar Dheathain. Bha doras saoghal na sgoilearachd fosgailte dha mu dheireadh thall, agus cha b鈥� e ruith ach leum a rinn e troimhe.

Faclan na seachdaine: a鈥� mhinistrealachd: the ministry (church); Cr矛osdaidh: Christian; m矛-chinnteach: uncertain; Aidmheil Wesminster: Westminster Confession (of Faith); sp猫is: respect, affection; an R貌imh: Rome; a鈥� labhairt: speaking; Greugais: Greek (language); Floireans: Florence; Bheineas: Venice; b脿n: unoccupied.

Abairtean na seachdaine: thug athair air gluasad: his father made him move; anns a鈥� chathair mh貌ir sin: in that great city (note that cathair appears later on, meaning 鈥渃hair鈥� ie professorship in a university); mean air mhean: little by little; bha 霉idh mh貌r aige ann an X: he was greatly interested in X; dh鈥檌arr e air athair leigeil leis dreuchd eile a thaghadh: he asked his father to let him choose another profession; bha e am beachd dhol a Pharis: he intended to go to Paris; bha e dhen bheachd gum biodh e math dha: he was of the opinion that it would be good for him; litreachas nan R貌manach is nan Greugach: the literature of the Romans and Greeks; 鈥檚 ann nuair a bha e san Eadailt: it was when he was in Italy; bha e airson a bhith na Phroifeasair de Dhaonnachd: he wanted to be a Professor of Humanity; chuir e rud eile roimhe: he decided another thing; bha e airson connspaid adhbharachadh: he wanted to create a controversy; mar a bha i fhathast ga bruidhinn: as it (she) was still spoken; dhi霉lt Iain an cothrom: John refused the opportunity; rinn e air Lunnainn: he made for London; aig toiseach na Samhna: at the beginning of November; cha b鈥� e ruith ach leum a rinn e troimhe: he jumped at the opportunity (idiomatic).

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha na h-oileanaich sgapte air fheadh: the students were dispersed throughout it. I hope you recognised air fheadh as being a form of the compound preposition air feadh. You might say bha iad sgapte air feadh a鈥� bhaile (they were dispersed throughout the town 鈥� and note the genitive). But where no object noun exists, 鈥渢hroughout it鈥� is given as air fheadh for a masculine object (eg baile) and air a feadh for a feminine object. So, if we are talking about a kingdom, we would say bha iad air feadh na r矛oghachd, with the (feminine) noun present, and bha iad air a feadh (they were throughout it), without the noun. You will see that the possessive articles are contained within these phrases although the masculine one before a soundless consonant combination is not written. What we are really saying here is 鈥渢hroughout his/her extent鈥�.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Cha robh e airson a bhith an eisimeil carthannas athar gu s矛orraidh: he did not want to be dependent on his father鈥檚 charity for ever. Tha X an eisimeil Y (in the genitive): X is dependent on Y.