大象传媒

Cha robh mi a-riamh ann an Canada agus is m貌r am beud oir tha fhios gur e d霉thaich mh貌r bhr猫agha inntinneach a th鈥� innte. Feumaidh mi sin a chur ceart uaireigin. Ach rinn mi beagan anns an sgoil mu a deidhinn ann an Cruinn-e貌las agus thachair rudeigin annasach dhomh aig an 脿m sin. Bha sinn ag ionnsachadh mu na roinnean-n脿isein a tha a鈥� d猫anamh Chanada, agus bha mi a鈥� feuchainn rin cuimhneachadh 鈥� Alba Nuadh, Talamh an 脠isg, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan鈥�

Air an fheasgar mus robh an deuchainn ann, shuidh mi s矛os c貌mhla ri mo mh脿thair airson deisealachadh air a son. Thuirt i rium, 鈥渃arson nach toir thu creidsinn gu bheil thu ann an carbad-iarainn, a鈥� dol eadar costa sear agus costa siar Chanada? Faodaidh tu innse dhomh na rudan a ch矛 thu fhad 鈥檚 a tha thu a鈥� siubhal.鈥� Shaoil mi gu robh sin math gu le貌r, agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a dh鈥檜llaich mi airson na deuchainn.

Abair gu robh an t-iongnadh orm nuair a leugh mi a鈥� cheist air Canada anns a鈥� ph脿ipear-deuchainn air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann 鈥� 鈥渢hoir creidsinn gu bheil thu ann an tr猫ana, a鈥� dol thar Chanada bhon taobh an ear don taobh an iar. D猫an tuairisgeul air na ch矛 thu.鈥� Cha chreid mi gun do dh鈥檜llaich mi a-riamh cho math airson deuchainn 鈥檚 a dh鈥檜llaich mi an turas sin. Chun an l脿 an-diugh, chan eil fhios a鈥檓 an robh an d脿-shealladh aig mo mh脿thair!

Bha dithis a bhuineadh do dh鈥橝lba gu m貌r an s脿s anns a鈥� phr貌iseact airson rathad-iarainn, no loighne-r猫ile, mar a chanas m貌ran an-diugh, a thogail thar Chanada. B鈥� e fear dhiubh D貌mhnall Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn, am Morair Strathcona mar a bh鈥� air mu dheireadh, a bha na sti霉iriche air a鈥� chompanaidh a thog an loighne. Nochdaidh esan a-rithist ro dheireadh na Litreach. B鈥� e am fear eile Sir Iain D貌mhnallach, a鈥� chiad phr矛omhaire aig Canada, nuair a fhuair i na cr矛ochan a th鈥� aice an-diugh ann an ochd deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a seachd (1867).

Bha buinteanas aig Iain D貌mhnallach do thaobh sear Chataibh, far an robh athair na chroitear, ach chaidh e a Chanada nuair a bha e 貌g. Ghabh e ceum ann an Lagh agus chaidh e a-steach a phoileataics. Chaidh a dh猫anamh na cheannard air na T貌raidhean ann an ochd deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1844) agus tr矛 bliadhna fichead as d猫idh sin, bha e aig ceann ghnothaichean nuair a chaidh Canada a chruthachadh.

Bha Sir Iain D貌mhnallach (oir chaidh inbhe ridire a bhuileachadh air aig 脿m cruthachaidh a鈥� chaidreachais) dhen bheachd gu robh rathad-iarainn thar na d霉thcha riatanach airson muinntir Chanada aonachadh, oir bha sgaraidhean m貌ra ann eatarra, gu h-脿raidh eadar an fheadhainn a bhuineadh do Bhreatainn agus an fheadhainn a bha d矛leas don d矛leab Fhrangaich aca. Bha na Frangaich gu math l脿idir ann an Quebec, ach chan ann ann a sin a-mh脿in. Mar eisimpleir, bha buidheann ann am Manitoba, aig an robh Frangais mar ch脿nan, a dhi霉lt a-muigh no mach tighinn a-steach a Chanada. Le measgachadh de bhith a鈥� sealltainn sp猫is dhaibh, agus le bhith a鈥� bagairt cogadh orra, rinn Sir Iain D貌mhnallach a鈥� ch霉is orra.

Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich sgainneal mu dheidhinn na loighne-r猫ile agus chaill an D貌mhnallach gu ceannard nan Libearalach, Alasdair MacCoinnich, a fhuair taic bhon T貌raidh, D貌mhnall Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn. Bha Sir Iain D貌mhnallach air ais mar phr矛omhaire c貌ig bliadhna as d猫idh sin, ann an 脿m airson cr矛och a chur air a鈥� phr貌iseact mh貌r. Is c貌 chuir an cipean mu dheireadh na 脿ite anns na Beanntan Creagach? C貌 ach D貌mhnall Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn fh猫in 鈥� ann an 脿ite le ainm Gaidhealach, Creag Ealachaidh.

Abairtean na seachdaine: is mor am beud: that鈥檚 a great pity; feumaidh mi sin a chur ceart uaireigin: I will have to put that right sometime; thachair rudeigin annasach dhomh: a strange thing happened to me; carson nach toir thu creidsinn?: why don鈥檛 you pretend?; na rudan a ch矛 thu fhad 鈥檚 a tha thu a鈥� siubhal: the things you see while you are travelling; abair gu robh an t-iongnadh orm: I was greatly surprised; eadar costa agus costa siar Chanada: between the east coast and west coast of Canada; bha buinteanas aig X do thaobh sear Chataibh: X belonged (or his family belonged) to East Sutherland; chaidh inbhe ridire a bhuileachadh air: he was knighted; aig 脿m cruthachaidh a鈥� chaidreachais: at the time of the creation of the federation; gu robh rathad-iarainn thar na d霉thcha riatanach airson muinntir Chanada aonachadh: that a railway line across the country was necessary to unite the people of Canada; a bha d矛leas don d矛leab Fhrangaich aca: who were faithful to their French legacy; a dhi霉lt a-muigh no mach: who completely refused; c貌 chuir an cipean mu dheireadh na 脿ite anns na Beanntan Creagach?: who put in the last stake in the Rocky Mountains?

is mor am beud: that鈥檚 a great pity; feumaidh mi sin a chur ceartuaireigin: I will have to put that right sometime; thachair rudeigin annasach dhomh: a strangething happened to me; carson nach toir thu creidsinn?: why don鈥檛 you pretend?; na rudan a ch矛 thu聽fhad 鈥檚 a tha thu a鈥� siubhal: the things you see while you are travelling; abair gu robh an tiongnadh聽orm: I was greatly surprised; eadar costa agus costa siar Chanada: between the east聽coast and west coast of Canada; bha buinteanas aig X do thaobh sear Chataibh: X belonged (or聽his family belonged) to East Sutherland; chaidh inbhe ridire a bhuileachadh air: he was knighted;聽aig 脿m cruthachaidh a鈥� chaidreachais: at the time of the creation of the federation; gu robh rathadiarainn聽thar na d霉thcha riatanach airson muinntir Chanada aonachadh: that a railway line across聽the country was necessary to unite the people of Canada; a bha d矛leas don d矛leab Fhrangaich aca:聽who were faithful to their French legacy; a dhi霉lt a-muigh no mach: who completely refused; c貌聽chuir an cipean mu dheireadh na 脿ite anns na Beanntan Creagach?: who put in the last stake in the聽Rocky Mountains?

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: eadar costa sear agus costa siar Chanada: between the east coast and west coast of Canada. Do you sometimes get worried as to whether to use sear or an ear for east and siar or an iar for west? Relax 鈥� they are basically interchangeable. Thus we have in the Litir, thar Chanada bhon taobh an ear don taobh an iar (across Canada from the east to the west). You will hear the Western Isles being described as na h-Eileanan Siar or na h-Eileanan an Iar, and both are correct. There is an important point to note: the article 鈥渁n鈥� in an iar and an ear does not function as do other articles. Thus we say an ear (east) and gaoth an ear (an easterly wind), not gaoth na h-ear as you might expect. Also we say an taobh an iar for 鈥渢he west side鈥� not just taobh an iar as you might expect from grammatical rules concerning articles. Similarly we say an 脿ird an ear for the east or an easterly bearing. Sear and siar are not used in dealing with points of the compass eg bidh a鈥� ghrian a鈥� dol fodha anns an 脿ird an iar (the sun sets in the west).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: le bhith a鈥� bagairt cogadh orra: by threatening them with war (ie to go to war against them).