大象传媒

Halo a-rithist. Tha mi a-mach an-diugh air sp貌rs. An urrainn dhuibh ainm a chur ri tr矛 dhiubh a bhuineas, bho th霉s, do dh鈥橝lba? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi sin nas fhasa fhreagairt an-dr脿sta leis gu bheil fear aca air aire dhaoine gu m貌r. Tha mi a鈥� bruidhinn air curladh. 鈥橲 iad an fheadhainn eile a bhuineas do dh鈥橝lba 鈥� iomain agus golf.

Bidh fios agaibh, tha mi cinnteach, gur e sgioba de bhoireannaich Albannach a bhuannaich bonn 貌ir a鈥� churlaidh do Bhreatainn aig na Geamannan Oilimpigeach o chionn ghoirid. Tha e coltach gu robh m貌ran ann an Sasainn gu tur aineolach mun gheam ach chan ionann sin ann an Alba, far an deach a chruthachadh o chionn ceudan bhliadhnaichean.

Co-dhi霉 鈥檚 ann ann an Alba a chaidh a鈥� chiad aithris a dh猫anamh ann an sgr矛obhadh 鈥� co-cheangailte ri Abaid Ph脿islig ann an c貌ig deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1541). Ach tha feadhainn ag r脿dh gur d貌cha gun do th貌isich e anns an 脪laind no ann am Fl脿nras, oir rinn am fear-deilbh, Pieter Bruegel, d脿 dhealbh ann an c貌ig ceud, seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1565) de dhaoine a鈥� cluich le clachan air deigh. Agus tha e a鈥� coimhead coltach gur ann 脿 Fleamais a th脿inig am facal Beurla 鈥渂onspiel鈥� a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済eama curlaidh鈥�.

Ach an e curladh a tha anns na dealbhan? Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e geam eile a th鈥� ann 鈥� fear a th貌isich ann am Baibh猫iria agus an Ostair 鈥� ris an canar 鈥渆ischiessen鈥�, anns a bheil maide a鈥� stobadh gu d矛reach a-mach 脿s a鈥� chloich. Co-dhi霉, ge bith c貌 th貌isich curladh, 鈥檚 iad na h-Albannaich a thug cruth agus spionnadh dha. Agus tha m貌ran dhen bheachd gu bheil e iomchaidh gu bheil am bonn 貌ir aig Geamannan Oilimpigeach a鈥� Gheamhraidh air tighinn 鈥渄hachaigh鈥�.

Leudaich an sp貌rs aig 脿m nuair a bha na geamhraidhean na b鈥� fhuaire na tha iad an-diugh, agus nuair a bha e fada na b鈥� fhasa do dhaoine loch re貌ite a lorg. 鈥橲 ann anns na sg矛rean d霉thchail a bu mh貌 a bhiodh daoine a鈥� cluich curladh agus, ann an aimsir re貌ite aig an 脿m sin, cha robh m貌ran eile a b鈥� urrainn dhaibh dh猫anamh ach cumail bl脿th ann an d貌igh air choreigin! Gu h-iongantach, bha iad cho measail air an sp貌rs ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan 鈥檚 gum biodh iad a鈥� falbh a-mach a chluich air an oidhche, agus a鈥� cleachdadh l貌chrain, no lampaichean no, uaireannan, solas l貌chran nam bochd. 鈥橲 e sin a鈥� ghealach.

Ma 鈥檚 e Alba a thug curladh don t-saoghal, agus tha e a-nise air a chluich ann an co-dhi霉 fichead d霉thaich eadar an t-Suain agus New Zealand, 鈥檚 iad na Cain猫idianaich as m貌 a dh鈥檉h脿s measail air. Tha suas ri millean duine ri curladh ann an Canada, barrachd na tri霉ir 脿s gach ceathrar a chluicheas an geam air feadh an t-saoghail. Chuir Alba sgioba a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Chanada agus nan St脿itean Aonaichte ann an naoi deug 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1902) airson a鈥� chiad turais, agus mhothaich iad gu robh na Cain猫idianaich is Aimeireaganaich math math air a鈥� gheam. Agus thachair rud 霉r dhaibh, oir b鈥� e sin a鈥� chiad turas a bha gin dhen sgioba Albannach air curladh a chluich fo chabair.

Tha gnothaichean air atharrachadh ann an Alba bhon uairsin agus, ged nach eil uiread de chluicheadairean anns an d霉thaich seo 鈥檚 a th鈥� ann an Canada, agus ged nach eil na goireasan tr猫anaidh againn cho math nas m貌, sheall na boireannaich Albannach gu robh iad fhathast comasach air sgioba a chur ri ch猫ile a dh猫anadh a鈥� ch霉is anns an fharpais as m貌 air an t-saoghal.

Faclan na seachdaine: iomain: shinty; gu tur aineolach: entirely ignorant; Abaid Ph脿islig: Paisley Abbey; Flanndrais: Flanders; Baibh猫iria: Bavaria; an Ostair: Austria; iomchaidh: fitting, proper.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mi a-mach an-diugh air sp貌rs: I am on about sports today; leis gu bheil fear aca air aire dhaoine: because one of them is in people鈥檚 minds; bonn 貌ir a鈥� churlaidh: the curling gold medal; far an deach a chruthachadh: where it was created, invented; anns a bheil maide a鈥� stobadh gu d矛reach a-mach 脿s a鈥� chloich: in which a stick sticks directly out of the stone; 鈥檚 iad na h-Albannaich a thug cruth is spionnadh dha: it鈥檚 the Scots that gave it form and vigour; nuair a bha e na b鈥� fhasa do dhaoine loch re貌ite a lorg: when it was easier for people to find a frozen loch; 鈥檚 ann anns na sg矛rean d霉thchail a bu mh貌 a bhiodh daoine a鈥� cluich curladh: it is mostly in country areas that people would play curling; barrachd na tri霉ir 脿s gach ceathrar a chluicheas an geam air feadh an t-saoghail: more than three out of every four that plays the game around the world; gu robh X math math air a鈥� gheam: that X was very good at the game; b鈥� e sin a鈥� chiad turas a bha gin dhen sgioba Albannach air curladh a chluich fo chabair: that was the first time that any of the Scottish team had played curling indoors; a dh猫anadh a鈥� ch霉is anns an fharpais as m貌 air an t-saoghal: that could win the biggest competition in the world.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: ged nach eil goireasan tr猫anaidh againn cho math nas m貌: though we don鈥檛 have such good training facilities either. Nas m貌 (alternatively nas motha) is one way of expressing 鈥渆ither鈥� in Gaelic but there are others as well. A bharrachd is another way which can be employed in similar circumstances, eg chan fhaigh thu lorg air ann a seo a bharrachd (you won鈥檛 find him here either). An d脿rna cuid (an dara cuid) is also used eg buannachaidh an d脿rna cuid, Rangers no Celtic, an Cupa (either Rangers or Celtic will win the Cup). And another useful phrase is fear seach fear (or t猫 seach t猫 for feminine objects) eg bidh fear seach fear dhiubh ann a鈥� feitheamh riut, ach chan eil fhios agam c貌 (either one or the other of them will be there, waiting for you, but I do not know which). Trying making up a few sentences in English with 鈥渆ither鈥� in them and see how you might best translate them into Gaelic.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: a鈥� cleachdadh solas l貌chran nam bochd: using the light of the lantern of the poor people, ie the light of the moon (for which you don鈥檛 need to pay).

* 鈥淟itir do Luchd-Ionnsachaidh鈥� is funded by Comataidh Craolaidh G脿idhlig