大象传媒

Bha dragh air na h-霉ghdarrasan gum feuchadh na pr矛osanaich-chogaidh Ghearmailteach, a bha ag obair anns a鈥� mh猫inn-iarainn ann an Ratharsair ri linn a鈥� Chiad Chogaidh, ri teicheadh bhon eilean. Agus, gu dearbh, dh鈥檉heuch feadhainn ri sin a dh猫anamh. Aon turas, ghoid leth-dhusan dhiubh ge貌la air an oidhche, agus dh鈥檌omair iad a-mach gu ruige b脿ta m貌r aig an robh einnsean, a bhuineadh do chompanaidh na m猫inne. Ach bha fear a鈥� bh脿ta air am maign矛oto a thoirt dhachaigh leis, agus cha deach aig na Gearmailtich air an einnsean obrachadh.

Bha an oidhche garbh agus, a r猫ir choltais, cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh cur na mara air cuid de na pr矛osanaich. Feumaidh gur e saighdearan, seach maraichean, a bh鈥� annta. Co-dhi霉, thug iad a鈥� ghe貌la air ais gu t矛r, agus choisich iad gu tuath a dh鈥櫭爄te air cladach an iar an eilein, far an do chuir iad seachad an oidhche.

Ach cha robh iad fad鈥� air falbh bho bhaile beag croitearachd air a bheil Bail鈥� a鈥� Ch霉irn agus chunnaic dithis chroitearan anns a鈥� bhaile sin toit a鈥� tighinn bhon chladach. Bha na Gearmailtich air teine a chuir thuige airson rabaid a ghlac iad a r貌stadh. Uill, cha robh iad saor fada. Agus ged a dh鈥檉heuch feadhainn eile ri teicheadh fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad ag obair anns a鈥� mh猫inn, cha d鈥� fhuair aon duine dhiubh air falbh bhon eilean.

Ach bha an obair aca cruaidh agus cunnartach, agus chaill dithis phr矛osanach am beatha anns a鈥� mh猫inn. A bharrachd orrasan, agus na bu mhiosa na sin, chaochail dusan pr矛osanach eile as d猫idh a鈥� chogaidh nuair a sgap a鈥� fl霉 gu dona air feadh na Roinn E貌rpa.

Bha deagh ch脿irdeas eadar cuid de na h-eileanaich agus na pr矛osanaich. Gu dearbh, ghabh feadhainn truas ris na Gearmailtich oir cha robh m貌ran b矛dh aca, agus bhiodh eileanaich a鈥� toirt biadh dhaibh gun fhiosta do na h-霉ghdarrasan. Ach, mar a shaoileadh sibh, cha robh c霉isean buileach r猫idh, agus rinn cuid dhen luchd-obrach gearan gu robh an tuarastal aca ro 矛osal agus gur iad na Gearmailtich a bha ga chumail s矛os.

Chaidh ceistean a thogail ann an Taigh nan Cumantan mu dheidhinn anns a鈥� Ghearran, naoi ceud deug is seachd-deug (1917) agus chaidh coinneamh phoblach a chumail anns an eilean air an treas l脿 dhen Mh脿rt. Am measg na bha an l脿thair, bha 脌rd-neach-lagh鈥� a鈥� Chr霉in an Alba. A r猫ir aithris, bha a鈥� choinneamh gu math sradagach. A bharrachd air droch thuarastal, bha cuid de mhuinntir an eilein dhen bheachd nach robh iad a鈥� faighinn Cothrom na F猫inne a thaobh cosnaidhean anns a鈥� mh猫inn, agus gu robh na pr矛osanaich-chogaidh a鈥� cluich sp貌rs air fearann a bhuineadh dhaibhsan. Bha na h-eileanaich ag iarraidh an fhearainn sin airson biadh fh脿s dhaibh fh猫in.

Air a鈥� cheathramh l脿 dhen D霉bhlachd anns a鈥� bhliadhna sin, th脿inig a鈥� ch霉is gu ceann, nuair a dhi霉lt na h-eileanaich obair a dh猫anamh anns a鈥� mh猫inn. Bha iad air stailc aig an dearbh 脿m 鈥檚 a bha an r矛oghachd an s脿s ann an cogadh m貌r. Chuir na h-eileanaich iarrtas gu sti霉irichean na m猫inne airson p脿igheadh a bharrachd de dheich tasdanan gach seachdain agus airson tuilleadh fearainn dhaibh fh猫in. Dh鈥檌arr iad cuideachd gum biodh na m猫inneirean a bhuineadh do dh鈥櫭爄teachan eile a鈥� falbh dhachaigh, agus gum biodh na pr矛osanaich Ghearmailteach cuideachd air an cur a-mach 脿s an eilean. Thill a鈥� ch霉is don ph脿rlamaid agus, an turas seo, ghabh am Pr矛omhaire, Lloyd George, p脿irt anns an deasbad.

Bha a鈥� ch霉is a鈥� s矛or theasachadh. Chaidh casaid a chur as leth sti霉irichean na m猫inne gu robh iad a鈥� cleachdadh pr矛osanaich-chogaidh airson an stailc a bhriseadh. Ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: ghoid: stole; ge貌la: dinghy; einnsean: engine; maign矛oto: magneto; garbh: rough; tuarastal: wages; Taigh nan Cumantan: House of Commons; an Gearran: February; sradagach: heated (lit. sparky); cosnaidhean: jobs; fearann: land; an D霉bhlachd: December; tasdan: shilling; am Pr矛omhaire: the Prime Minister.

Abairtean na seachdaine: gum feuchadh na pr矛osanaich ri teicheadh: that the prisoners would try to escape (flee); ri linn a鈥� Chiad Chogaidh: at the time of the First World War; dh鈥檌omair iad a-mach gu ruige b脿ta m貌r: they rowed out to a large boat; a bhuineadh do chompanaidh na m猫inne: which belonged to the mining company; cha deach aig na Gearmailtich air an einnsean obrachadh: the Germans couldn鈥檛 get the engine to work; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh cur na mara air cuid: it wasn鈥檛 long until some were seasick; bha iad air teine a chur thuige: they had lit a fire; airson rabaid a ghlac iad a r貌stadh: to cook a rabbit they (had) caught; nuair a sgap a鈥� fl霉: when influenza spread; ghabh feadhainn truas ri: some took pity on; cha robh m貌ran b矛dh aca: they didn鈥檛 have much food; gun fhiosta do X: without X knowing; cha robh c霉isean buileach r猫idh: things weren鈥檛 altogether smooth; nach robh iad a鈥� faighinn Cothrom na F猫inne: that they weren鈥檛 getting a fair go (lit. Opportunity of the Fenians); nuair a dhi霉lt na h-eileanaich obair a dh猫anamh: when the islanders refused to work; bha a鈥� ch霉is a鈥� s矛or theasachadh: the matter was continually growing more troublesome (lit. heating up); airson an stailc a bhriseadh: to break the strike.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine:Am measg na bha an l脿thair, bha 脌rd-neach-lagh鈥� a鈥� Chr霉in an Alba: among those present was the Solicitor-General for Scotland. I want today to tackle the issue of how we derive a suitable Gaelic for of a title like 鈥淪olicitor-General鈥�. First of all, it is important to be aware that some historically validated titles have long existed and do not require reinvention. For example, a Procurator Fiscal is Neach-casaid a鈥� Chr霉in. To the general population which is not well versed in legal niceties, the Gaelic name is actually more meaningful than the rather obtuse English form 鈥� it literally means 鈥減rosecuting person of the Crown鈥�. In the case of Solicitor-General, an ordinary solicitor is neach-lagha, ie a law-person. But what is meant by 鈥淕eneral鈥�? A straight translation here (eg Coitcheann) is inappropriate and we have to ask what 鈥淕eneral鈥� actually means. That is why the 鈥溍�rd鈥� is introduced 鈥� to indicate he/she is the top person. Similarly a 鈥淕eneral Secretary鈥�, where it represents the head of an organisation, is referred to as an 脌rd-r霉naire not a R霉naire Coitcheann. 脌rd-neach-lagha a鈥� Chr霉in tells us it is the head solicitor ie Solicitor General but we need (ann) an Alba to tell us it is in Scotland. And, of course, if we are dealing with a similar office in a country with a republican constitution, we would have to drop the Crown reference and say, perhaps, 脌rd-neach-lagha na D霉thcha. Official Gaelic titles associated with the Scottish and UK parliaments are available from Faclair na P脿rlamaid at www.scotland.gov.uk/dictionary.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bha iad air stailc aig an dearbh 脿m 鈥檚 a bha an r矛oghachd an s脿s ann an cogadh m貌r: they were on strike at the very same time the country (kingdom) was involved in a great war. Aig an dearbh 脿m: at the exact same time.