大象传媒

An robh sibh a鈥� coimhead anns an sg脿than an-diugh? Tha fhios gu robh 鈥� a鈥� chiad char anns a鈥� mhadainn, agus sibh a鈥� cur ur falt ceart airson a dhol a dh鈥檕bair, neo don sgoil, neo airson coimhead br猫agha do ch脿ch aig b貌rd na bracaist. Agus d猫 chunnaic sibh anns an sg脿than? N脿dar de Phierce Brosnan, 鈥檚 d貌cha, neo faileas br猫agha mar a ch矛theadh Catherine Zeta-Jones? Uill, tha fhios a鈥檓 air aon rud: chanamaid uile an aon rud mu dheidhinn 鈥� 鈥渃hunnaic mi mi-fh矛n.鈥�

Tha mi鈥檔 d貌chas gu bheil sibh air obrachadh a-mach gur ann air t貌imhseachan na seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh a tha mi a鈥� bruidhinn. A bheil cuimhn鈥� agaibh air? Seo mar a chaidh e:

Is mi mi-fh矛n,

Is mi gach duine

Ach sgr矛ob mo dhruim

鈥檚 cha mhi duin鈥� idir.

Agus 鈥檚 e sg脿than a bh鈥檃nn. Tha faileas de gach duine a鈥� nochdadh ann nuair a sheasas gach duine mu a choinneamh. Ach ma sgr矛obas tu druim an sg脿thain, far a bheil am peant airgid, caillidh e a chomas faileas ceart a dh猫anamh 鈥� agus, an uairsin, cha nochd d鈥檉haileas ann idir nuair a sheasas tu mu a choinneamh. Bha e s矛mplidh, nach robh?!

Chan aithne dhomh gu bheil am facal 鈥渟g脿than鈥� a鈥� nochdadh gu tric idir ann an gn脿thsan-cainnt neo seanfhaclan G脿idhlig, ach 鈥檚 aithne dhomh aon seanfhacal anns a bheil e. Agus, nam bheachd-san, tha an seanfhacal sin gu math ciallach, agus gu math snog. Is math an sg脿than s霉il caraid. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh gum faod sinn deagh iomhaigh fhaicinn dhinn fh猫in ann an s霉ilean caraid. Ch矛 sinn tro sh霉ilean caraid mar a ch矛 daoine eile sinne.

Agus nach e sin an gnothach air an robh am b脿rd ainmeil Gallda, Raibeart Burns, a鈥� me貌mhrachadh nuair a sgr矛obh e a dh脿n, To a Louse. 鈥淥 wad some Pow鈥檙 the giftie gie us,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥渢ae see oursels as ithers see us.鈥�

Tha an sg脿than a鈥� nochdadh gu tric ann am beul-aithris na Roinn-E貌rpa agus, mar is trice, tha e gu math onorach, 鈥檚 d貌cha nas onoraiche na tha daoine. Agus chan eil an sg脿than di霉id. Bidh e ag innse na f矛rinn, co-dhi霉 tha sin a鈥� toileachadh an duine a tha a鈥� coimhead ann neo nach eil.

Bidh sibh uile e貌lach air an t-seann sgeulachd Ghearmailtich a chaidh a chruinneachadh leis na br脿ithrean Iacob agus Wilhelm Grimm. Ann an G脿idhlig 鈥檚 e 鈥淩貌s Bh脿n agus na Seachd Troichean鈥� a th鈥檕irre; ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi sibh e貌lach oirre mar 鈥淪now White and the Seven Dwarves.鈥�

Anns an sgeulachd sin, tha sg脿than ann a tha ag innse don Bh脿nrigh olc gur ise am boireannach as br猫agha a th鈥檃nn. Agus tha sin ga toileachadh. Ach an ceann greis, tha an t猫 貌g, R貌s Bh脿n, a鈥� tighinn gu 矛re agus tha ise, a-r猫ir choltais, cho br猫agha ris an t猫 ainmeil anns na sgeulachdan聽againn fh猫in 鈥� Deirdre. Chanadh iad mu dheidhinn Deirdre gur ise am boinne-fala a bu mhaisiche a bh鈥檃nn eadar grian agus talamh agus nach do rugadh t猫 a-riamh a bha cho maiseach rithe.

Uill, chan eil fhios a鈥檓, ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh R貌s Bh脿n cho br猫agha ri Deirdre. Co-dhi霉 b鈥檈 sin beachd an sg脿thain 鈥� gur i R貌s Bh脿n an t猫 a bu bhoidhche air an t-saoghal gu l猫ir. Agus, anns an sgeulachd, nuair a dh鈥檉haighnicheas a鈥� Bh脿nrigh dhen sg脿than c貌 as maisich鈥� a th鈥檃nn, tha an sg脿than a鈥� freagairt 鈥淩貌s Bh脿n鈥�. Chan eil a鈥� Bh脿nrigh toilichte.

Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha, an 脿ite a bhith a鈥� f脿s feargach mu bheachd an sg脿thain, gu robh c貌ir aig a鈥� Bh脿nrigh a r脿dh ris gu robh i coma. Dh鈥檉haodadh i seanfhacal eile a r脿dh ris an sg脿than mar dhearbhadh gu robh i coma 鈥� 鈥淐ha toir a鈥� bh貌idhchead goil air a鈥� phoit.鈥�

sg脿than: mirror; falt: hair; c脿ch: the others (in a group or family);faileas,d鈥檉haileas: reflection, your (sing) reflection: a鈥� nochdadh: appearing; di霉id: shy;troich: dwarf; olc: evil; maiseach: beautiful; feargach: angry.

a chiad char anns a鈥� mhadainn: first thing in the morning; n脿darde Phierce Brosnan: a Pierce Brosnan-type (of reflection); mar a ch矛theadh X: as X wouldsee; tha fhios a鈥檓 (鈥渁鈥檓鈥� is short for 鈥渁gam鈥� and is very common in speech 鈥� listen out forit): I know; chanamaid uile: we would all say; t貌imhseachan na seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh: lastweek鈥檚 riddle; mu a choinneamh: opposite, in front of it (masc); caillidh e a chomas: it(masc) loses its ability; co-dhi霉 tha sin a鈥� toileachadh X neo nach eil: whether that pleasesX or not; a chaidh a chruinneachadh: which was collected; tha X a鈥� tighinn gu 矛re: Xreaches maturity; am boinne-fala a bu mhaisiche: lit. the most beautiful drop of blood 鈥搕his is an old Gaelic expression, found in traditional stories, for a woman of exquisitebeauty; an t猫 a bu bhoidhche: the most beautiful (woman); mar dhearbhadh gu robh icoma: as proof that she was indifferent (to the mirror鈥檚 opinion).

gum faod sinn deagh iomhaigh fhaicinn (dhinn fh猫in):that we can see a good (ie accurate) image (of ourselves). When a clause (a bit of asentence containing a verb) contains two verbs, the second, which is in the form of a(lenited) verbal noun, generally goes at the end. Failure to observe this 鈥渞ule鈥� is acommon mistake made by learners. eg am faod mi a鈥� cheist a fhreagairt? (may I answer thequestion?) NOT am faod mi freagairt a鈥� cheist? Similarly, an urrainn dhut sin a dh猫anamh?(can you do that?) NOT an urrainn dhut d猫anamh sin? And dh鈥檌arr e orm an copan al矛onadh (he asked me to fill the cup) NOT dh鈥檌arr e orm l矛onadh an copan. Wrongphraseology of this nature grates badly on the ears of fluent speakers even though theyunderstand what is meant. But, like all 鈥渞ules鈥� there are exceptions. In this case, note thatwith rach (鈥済o鈥�) this inversion does not take place eg tha mi a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh sin (I amgoing to do that) NOT tha mi a鈥� dol sin a dh猫anamh. Chaidh mi a dh鈥檉huireach ann anGlaschu (I went to live in Glasgow) NOT chaidh mi ann an Glaschu a dh鈥檉huireach.

Is math an sg脿than s霉il caraid: a friend鈥檚 eye is a goodmirror. This is self-explanatory. Cha toir a鈥� bh貌idhchead goil air a鈥� phoit: beauty won鈥檛boil the pot. In other words, beauty is not everything (a good one to say, with a resignedsigh, to the mirror in the morning when 鈥淧ierce Brosnan鈥� or 鈥淐atherine Zeta-Jones鈥� failsto appear in your reflection!)