大象传媒

O chionn greis, ann an Litir naoidhead 鈥檚 a ceithir (94), rinn mi aithris air samhlaidhean mu dheidhinn coin, anns a bheil na beathaichean sin a鈥� faighinn droch chli霉. Cho sg矛th ri c霉 is a leithid sin. Uill, goirid as d猫idh sin, fhuair mi brath tron phost-dealain bho neach-猫isteachd aig a bheil G脿idhlig na h-Eireann, ag innse dhomh gu robh co-dhi霉 aon seanfhacal ann an Eirinn a bha a鈥� sealltainn beachd eadar-dhealaichte air coin.

Ma 鈥檚 math mo chuimhne, agus gabhaibh mo leisgeul ma tha mi air a dhol beagan tuathal leis, 鈥檚 e a bh鈥� ann, 鈥淭谩 saol an mhadaidh bh脿in aige鈥� neo, anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig againne, 鈥淭ha saoghal a鈥� choin bh脿in aige, neo 鈥淭ha beatha a鈥� choin bh脿in aige鈥�. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh gu bheil 鈥渆鈥� 鈥� an duine 鈥� gu math fortanach.

Uill, is math sin agus bu mhath leam fhaighinn a-mach d猫 is coireach gu bheil coin bh脿na nas fhortanaiche na coin dubha. Co-dhi霉, tha smuaintean st猫idhichte air a sin air a bhith a鈥� cuairteachadh nam cheann. Agus 鈥檚 e na th脿inig asta 鈥� 鈥渟eanfhacal鈥� nach eil sean idir air sg脿th 鈥檚 gu bheil mi d矛reach air a chruthachadh an-dr脿sta fh猫in. 鈥淭ha saoghal a鈥� choin R霉maich aige鈥�. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh, 鈥渉e has the life of a Rum dog鈥�, sin c霉 a bhuineas do dh鈥橢ilean R霉im. Tha saoghal a鈥� choin R霉maich aige.

Carson a chanainn sin? Uill, tha deagh adhbhar agam, ach feumaidh mi r脿dh anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach nach ann air coin R霉mach an latha an-diugh a tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh, ach air an fheadhainn a bh鈥� ann faisg air ceud bliadhna air ais.

Bha Se貌ras Bullough air fear de na daoine a bu bheartaiche ann am Breatainn aig an 脿m. Bha athair, Iain, air airgead m貌r a dh猫anamh ann an gn矛omhachas a鈥� chl貌 ann an Sasainn, agus bha e air R霉m a cheannach airson sealg ann. Bha uachdaran roimhe air a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na daoine a bhuineadh don eilean fhuadachadh.

Ann an ochd ceud deug is seachdad (1870), chaochail Iain, agus fhuair Se貌ras an oighreachd. Chuir e roimhe n脿dar de 鈥渃haisteal鈥�, neo co-dhi霉 taigh m貌r m貌r, a thogail anns an eilean, agus chaidh sin a dh猫anamh air an taobh sear, aig ceann Loch Sgr猫asort. Tha e ann fhathast.

Chaidh clach-ghainmhich ruadh a thoirt a-steach 脿s Arainn agus dh鈥檕braich sgioba de thr矛 cheud duine, cuid aca 脿s Eilean Eige, fad tr矛 bliadhna airson an caisteal a thogail. 鈥橲 e togalach air leth a bh鈥� ann. Dh鈥檌arr Bullough air an luchd-obrach f猫ilidhean beaga a chur orra fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad ag obair, agus thug e tasdan a bharrachd gach seachdain dhaibh nan d猫anadh iad sin.

Ach dh鈥檉h脿s an luchd-obrach m矛-thoilichte, agus na meanbh-chuileagan ann an R霉m cho fiadhaich. An uairsin, thug Bullough da sgillinn a bharrachd gach l脿 dhaibh airson smocadh 鈥� airson na cuileagan a chumail air falbh!

Aig a鈥� cheann thall, dh鈥櫭╥rich caisteal 脿raidh, le na h-uimhir de rumannan ann, le taighean-gloinne is leas m貌r, raon-golf, taighean l脿n thurtairean is ailigeutairean is mar sin air adhart. Cha do thuig Se貌ras Bullough am facal 鈥渟p矛ocaireachd鈥�. Uill, cha do thuig a r猫ir cuid de rudan co-dhi霉.

Agus tha sin gam thoirt do na coin. Bha taigh-chon aig Bullough, l脿imh ris a鈥� chaisteal, a bha gu math goireasach do na creutairean a bha a鈥� fuireach ann. Bha siostam-teasachaidh ann gus nach fh脿sadh na coin fuar. 鈥橲 e a bha laghach dhaibh.

Ach 鈥� agus seo a鈥� phuing, saoilidh mi 鈥� cha robh siostam-teasachaidh sam bith anns na se貌mraichean far an robh na sgalagan neo searbhantan a鈥� feuchainn ri cadal fhaighinn air oidhcheannan fuara. Cha robh saoghal a鈥� choin R霉maich acasan.

Faclan na seachdaine: samhlaidhean: similes; droch chli霉: a bad reputation; neach-猫isteachd: listener; gn矛omhachas a鈥� chl貌: the textile industry; oighreachd: estate; Loch Sgr猫asort: Loch Scresort; Eilean Eige: Isle of Eigg; f猫ilidhean beaga: kilts; meanbh-chuileagan: midges; smocadh: smoking (tobacco); taighean-gloinne: glasshouses; leas: garden; turtairean: turtles; ailigeutairean: alligators; sp矛ocaireachd: meanness; l脿imh ri: next to; goireasach: well-appointed; siostam-teasachaidh: (central) heating system.

Abairtean na seachdaine: fhuair mi brath tron phost-dealain: I was told by e-mail; gabhaibh mo leisgeul ma tha mi air a dhol beagan tuathal: excuse me if I have gone a little wrong; tha saoghal a鈥� choin bh脿in aige: he has the life of a (lit. the) white dog; tha smuaintean st猫idhichte air a sin air a bhith a鈥� cuairteachadh nam cheann: thoughts based on that have been circulating in my head; c霉 a bhuineas do dh鈥橢ilean R霉im: a dog that belongs to the Isle of Rum; anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach: in the first instance; faisg air ceud bliadhna air ais: nearly 100 years ago; bha X air a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na daoine a bhuineadh don eilean fhuadachadh: X had cleared most of the people who belonged to the island; chuir e roimhe n脿dar de chaisteal a thogail: he decided to build a sort of castle; chaidh clach-ghainmhich ruadh a thoirt a-steach 脿s Arainn: red sandstone was brought in from Arran; thug e tasdan a bharrachd dhaibh nan d猫anadh iad sin: he gave them an extra shilling if they would do that; dh鈥櫭╥rich caisteal 脿raidh, le na h-uimhir de rumannan ann: a distinctive castle arose, with lots of rooms in it; cha do thuig a r猫ir cuid de rudan: he didn鈥檛 (understand) with respect to some things; 鈥檚 e a bha laghach dhaibh: it鈥檚 himself that was nice to them; far an robh na sgalagan neo searbhantan a鈥� feuchainn ri cadal fhaighinn: where the workmen and servants were trying to get sleep.

workmen and servants were trying to get sleep.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha X air fear de na daoine a bu bheartaiche ann am Breatainn: X was one of the richest men in Britain. The use of the preposition 鈥渁ir鈥� in this expression is one that defies literal translation and I am not sure if it is to be found in any text book. Nor is it a figure of speech common to all dialects (although all will understand what is meant) but you will hear it quite often (particularly on Skye), so it is worth being aware of it. There are other suitable constructions, of course, which could convey the same information. Before reading further (close your eyes quickly!), try to think of three鈥︹�� OK, time鈥檚 up, here are mine!: b鈥� e X fear de na daoine a bu bheartaiche ann am Breatainn; or 鈥檚 e fear de na daoine a bu bheartaiche ann am Breatainn a bh鈥� ann an X; or bha X am measg nan daoine a bu bheartaiche ann am Breatainn. But be aware of the alternative, using 鈥渁ir鈥�, which can allow you to vary your speech pattern.

Ma 鈥檚 math mo chuimhne: if my memory serves me聽correctly.