大象传媒

Bha na h-Albannaich is na h-Eireannaich a-riamh math air sgeulachdan innse, agus saoilidh mi gu bheil an sliochd air an aon d貌igh. Nuair a bha mi a鈥� fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia chuala mi mu fhear aca, air an robh M矛cheal mar ainm, a bha be貌 anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha e a鈥� fuireach ann am Bhictoria gu tuath air a鈥� phr矛omh bhaile, Melbourne. Mar a chuala mise eachdraidh, bhuineadh e do shliochd na h-Eireann, agus 鈥檚 iongantach mura h-eil sin ceart, oir bha m貌ran de a leithid anns a鈥� che脿rnaidh sin aig an 脿m. Gu dearbh, 鈥檚 ann don sg矛re sin a bhuineadh am fear a b鈥� ainmeile de shliochd na h-Eireann ann an Astr脿ilia 鈥� Ned Kelly.

Co-dhi霉, bha M矛cheal math math air st貌iridhean innse. Bha e na dhr脿ibhear-coidse, a鈥� toirt a鈥� phuist eadar bailtean beaga. Dh鈥檉haodadh an obair a bhith cunnartach, ge-t脿, agus robairean a鈥� feitheamh riutha airson airgead a ghoid. Robairean mar Ned Kelly!

Uaireannan bhiodh luchd-siubhail nan suidhe ri taobh Mh矛cheil far an robh e a鈥� cumail smachd air na h-eich le sriantan. Ch貌rdadh sin riutha, oir bhiodh cothrom aca 猫isteachd ris na st貌iridhean aige. Bha cli霉 aige mar an sgeulaiche a b鈥� fhe脿rr agus am breugaire a bu mhiosa ann am Bhictoria aig an 脿m. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil an d脿 rud a鈥� dol c貌mhla gu n脿darrach!

Turas a bha seo, bha boireannach air 霉r-nochdadh ann an Astr脿ilia bhon t-seann d霉thaich. Bha i 脿s ceann a deas Shasainn is cha robh i cleachdte ri d貌ighean Astr脿ilia neo d貌ighean nan Ceilteach nas motha. Ach bha i air cluinntinn mu Mh矛cheal. Shuidh i cuide ris gu h-脿rd airson an d霉thaich fhaicinn, ach thug i rabhadh dha. 鈥淎s d猫idh gun deach innse dhomh,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥済ur sibhse am breugaire as miosa san d霉thaich, chan eil mi a鈥� dol a chreidsinn facal a chanas sibh rium.鈥�

Rinn M矛cheal g脿ire. 鈥淐h矛 sinn,鈥� thuirt e ris fh猫in.

Chaidh iad greis ann an samchair, agus an uairsin th貌isich M矛cheal air innse don bhoireannach mu John, cangar霉 a bhiodh a鈥� coinneachadh ris a鈥� choidse gach trup air an rathad sin. 鈥淭ha mi air John a thr猫anadh bho bha e 貌g鈥�, thuirt e, 鈥渁irson poca puist a thogail bhuam. Falbhaidh e don choille leis, cuiridh e na litrichean is na parsailean a-mach air an talamh, cuiridh e ann an 貌rdugh iad, agus l矛bhrigidh e iad do na diofar thaighean anns an sg矛re.鈥�

鈥淪eadh, seadh,鈥� thuirt am boireannach, nach robh a鈥� creidsinn facal dheth. 鈥淭ha sibh ag innse dhomh gu bheil comas leughaidh aig cangar霉, gun cuir esan litrichean ann an 貌rdugh, gun gnog e dorsan nan taighean is gun toir e na litrichean do na daoine.鈥�

鈥淥 chan ann mar sin a tha e idir,鈥� fhreagair M矛cheal. 鈥淐ha bhi John a鈥� gnogadh dhorsan. Bidh e d矛reach a鈥� feadaireachd ris na daoine, is a鈥� f脿gail an litrichean air an stairsnich. Tha sin a鈥� s脿bhaladh 霉ine is tha uiread aige ri dh猫anamh.鈥�

鈥淗ut,鈥� ars鈥� am boireannach Sasannach, 鈥渃han eil f矛rinn sam bith anns a鈥� ch霉is.鈥�

鈥淥, uill, ch矛 sibh,鈥� thuirt M矛cheal, 鈥溾�檚 ann aig an ath l霉ib anns an rathad a bhios John a鈥� coinneachadh rinn.鈥�

Nuair a r脿inig iad an l霉b, d猫 bh鈥� ann am meadhan an rathaid ach cangar霉 m貌r. Dh鈥櫭╥rich M矛cheal do chasan airson bruidhinn ris, ach cha do stad e a鈥� choidse. 鈥淐han eil c脿il agam dhut an-diugh, John,鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh e, 鈥渇aodaidh tu do chasan a thoirt leat.鈥�

Leis a sin, thionndaidh an cangar霉 air a sh脿il agus phriob M矛cheal a sh霉il ris a鈥� bhoireannach. 鈥淣ach do dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh?鈥� thuirt e, agus cha bu bheag a鈥� ghaire a bh鈥� air aodann!

Faclan na seachdaine: dr脿ibhear-coidse: coach-driver; luchd-siubhail: travellers; sriantan: reins; sgeulaiche: storyteller; breugaire: liar; cangar霉; kangaroo: l霉b, aig an l霉ib; bend, at the bend: g脿ire: smile.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha X a-riamh math air sgeulachdan innse: X was always good at telling stories; saoilidh mi gu bheil an sliochd air an aon d貌igh: I reckon their descendants are similarly endowed; bhuineadh e do shliochd na h-Eireann: he belonged to the Irish diaspora; 鈥檚 iongantach mura a h-eil sin ceart: I reckon that鈥檚 correct; ch貌rdadh sin riutha: they would enjoy that; 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an d脿 rud a鈥� dol c貌mhla gu n脿darrach: perhaps the two things go together naturally; bha boireannach air 霉r-nochdadh: a woman had newly arrived; shuidh i cuide ris: she sat with him; a bhiodh a鈥� coinneachadh ris a鈥� choidse gach trup: which would meet with the coach every time; l矛bhrigidh e iad do na diofar thaighean anns an sg矛re: he delivers them to the various houses in the area; gu bheil comas leughaidh aig cangar霉: that a kangaroo can read; bidh e d矛reach a鈥� feadaireachd ris na daoine, is a鈥� f脿gail an litrichean air an stairsnich: he just whistles to the people and leaves their letters on the doorstep; tha sin a鈥� s脿bhaladh 霉ine is tha uiread aige ri dh猫anamh: that saves time and he has so much to do; chan eil c脿il agam dhut an-diugh: I don鈥檛 have anything for you today; thionndaidh X air a sh脿il: X turned on his heel(s); cha bu bheag a鈥� gh脿ire a bh鈥� air aodann: it was not a little smile that was on his face.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: As d猫idh gun deach innse dhomh gur sibhse am breugaire as miosa 鈥�: after having been told that you are the worst liar鈥� You may recall that we looked at the structure of a verbal clause in the active voice following as d猫idh in Litir 93 (9 March 2001). Here is an example of how it operates in the passive, using the verb 鈥渞ach鈥� (to go) as the agent of passivity 鈥� which is increasingly common in modern Gaelic. Here are some other examples: as d猫idh gun deach an obair a dh猫anamh (after the work was done/the work having been done); as d猫idh gun deach fhoillseachadh gun leigeadh e dheth a dhreuchd 鈥� (after it was announced that he would resign鈥�) This structure can be used as an idiomatic translation of a different type of English phrase; eg we might translate 鈥渇ollowing the revelation that William鈥檚 grandfather was dead, the boy fell ill鈥� as 鈥渁s d猫idh gun deach innse do dh鈥橴illeam gu robh a sheanair marbh, dh鈥檉h脿s an gille tinn.鈥� In other words, if you are called upon translate things into Gaelic, avoid a word-for-word account that sounds stilted or unnatural. You may be required to include a passive verb where none occurs in the English sentence.

faodaidh tu do chasan a thoirt leat: you may depart, leave.