麻豆约拍

Is e seo Bliadhna Eadar-n脿iseanta nam Beann, agus tha grunn rudan a鈥� dol ann an Alba airson sin a chomharrachadh oir, ged nach eil na beanntan againn 脿rd, tha iad pr矛seil dhuinne, agus tha iad ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail. Choisinn cuid de streapadairean, Albannaich is Sasannaich, cli霉 dhaibh fh猫in air beanntan 脿rda as d猫idh dhaibh na sgilean bunaiteach aca ionnsachadh ann an Alba.

Am measg nam beann as ainmeil鈥� anns an d霉thaich, tha an Cuiltheann anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Tha na beanntan sin cas, creagach, biorach, binneanach agus feumaidh duine sam bith a th猫id orra a bhith gu math comasach. Am measg na rinn an Cuiltheann ainmeil mar 脿ite airson streap, bha Tormod Collie, a bh鈥� air a bhith ann an iomadach 脿ite air feadh an t-saoghail, air beanntan eadar na Rockies agus a Himalaya.

Bha sp猫is is gr脿dh 脿raidh aige don Chuiltheann, ge-t脿, agus, mu dheireadh, chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, ann an Sligeachan. Bha e an uairsin faisg air na beanntan, air an do chuir e seachad m貌ran 霉ine nuair a bha e na b鈥� 貌ige ann an cuideachd Iain MhicCoinnich, Sgitheanach 脿 Sgonnsair, s矛os an rathad bho Shligeachan. Tha Iain air a chuimhneachadh ann am fear de mhullaichean a鈥� Chuilthinn, Sg霉rr MhicCoinnich, is tha Collie fh猫in air a chuimhneachadh ann an Sg霉rr Thormaid.

Ach, ainmeil 鈥檚 ged a bha Collie, cha b鈥� e an streapadair a b鈥� ainmeile ri linn. Bha fear eile ann, cuideachd 脿 Breatainn, a choisinn cli霉 dha fh猫in air feadh an t-saoghail, eadhon am measg feadhainn nach robh measail air beanntan. B鈥� esan an Sasannach, Se貌ras Mallory, a chaill a bheatha air a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde a th鈥� ann, Beinn Everest, ann an naoi deug, fichead 鈥檚 a ceithir (1924).

Gu o chionn ghoirid, bha fios agam gu robh Mallory air a bhith measail air beanntan na Cuimrigh, is gum biodh e a鈥� dol ann airson streap ann an Snowdonia gu math tric. Tha sin n脿darrach, oir bha na beanntan sin na b鈥� fhaisge air na h-脿iteachan far an robh e a鈥� fuireach ann an Sasainn. Cha robh fios agam, ge-t脿, gu robh e air a bhith a-riamh anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, a鈥� streap air a鈥� Chuiltheann.

Ach bha - aon turas, anns an Iuchar, naoi deug 鈥檚 a h-ochd-deug (1918), nuair a bha an Cogadh M貌r fhathast a鈥� dol. Bha Se貌ras air f貌rladh as d猫idh a bhith anns an Roinn-E貌rpa, leis gu robh cn脿mhan coise aige, a chaidh a bhriseadh naoi bliadhna roimhe ann an tubaist anns na beanntan, a鈥� tighinn 脿s a ch猫ile a-rithist. Nuair a bha e na b鈥� fhe脿rr, mus do thill e don Fhraing, chaidh e fh猫in is a bhean don Eilean Sgitheanach airson seachdain. Dh鈥檉huirich iad ann an Taigh-貌sta Shligeachain.

Bha an aimsir sgoinneil agus cha robh ce脿rr ach aon n矛. 鈥橲 e sin gu robh sg貌than ann dhen mheanbh-chuileig. Bha Se貌ras uabhasach measail air a bhith a鈥� sn脿mh ann an uillt is aibhnichean gun sg脿th aodaich air, agus bha e ri sin anns an Eilean Sgitheanach cuideachd, ach chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 cho tlachdmhor 鈥檚 a bha sin, agus na meanbh-chuileagan cho pailt. Co-dhi霉, streap Se貌ras air m貌ran de na beanntan agus chruthaich e slighe 霉r, nach do rinn duine sam bith roimhe, suas Sr貌n na C矛che.

Fhad 鈥檚 as aithne dhomh, b鈥� e sin an aon turas aige air a鈥� Chuiltheann. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh aire air Tibet agus a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde san t-saoghal, a thug a bheatha bhuaithe mu dheireadh, sia bliadhna as d猫idh dha soraidh sl脿n a leigeil leis an Eilean Sgitheanach.

Faclan na seachdaine: bunaiteach: basic; an Cuiltheann: the Cuillin(s) (often plural in English, always singular in Gaelic); cas, creagach, biorach, binneanach: steep, rocky, sharp and pinnacled; comasach: capable; Sligeachan: Sligachan (on Skye); Sgonnsair: Sconser; an Iuchar: July; an Cogadh M貌r: the Great War; Taigh-貌sta Shligeachain: the Sligachan Hotel; tlachdmhor: pleasurable; soraidh sl脿n: farewell.

Abairtean na seachdaine: Bliadhna Eadar-n脿iseanta nam Beann: International Year of the Mountain (better translated as 鈥淢ountains鈥� in Gaelic); tha grunn rudan a鈥� dol: a few things are happening; choisinn cuid de streapadairean cli霉 dhaibh fh猫in: some climbers built a reputation for themselves; tha Iain air a chuimhneachadh ann am fear de mhullaichean a鈥� Chuilthinn: John is remembered in one of the summits of the Cuillin; a chaill a bheatha air a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde a th鈥� ann: who lost his life on the highest mountain there is; bha fios agam gu robh Mallory air a bhith measail air beanntan na Cuimrigh: I knew that Mallory had been fond of the mountains of Wales; bha Se貌ras air f貌rladh: George was on leave (furlough); leis gu robh cn脿mhan coise aige, a chaidh a bhriseadh ann an tubaist anns na beanntan, a鈥� tighinn 脿s a ch猫ile a-rithist: that bones in his feet, which were broken in an accident in the mountains, were coming apart again; mus do thill e don Fhraing: before he returned to France; gu robh sg貌than ann dhen mheanbh-chuileig: that there were clouds of midgies (sometimes referred to in the singular in Gaelic, even when there are millions of them!); gun sg脿th aodaich air: without a stitch of clothing on; chruthaich e slighe 霉r, suas Sr貌n na C矛che: he created a new route up Sr貌n na C矛che; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh aire air Tibet: it wasn鈥檛 long before his attention was on Tibet; a thug a bheatha bhuaithe: that took his life from him.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha an aimsir sgoinneil agus cha robh ce脿rr ach aon n矛: the weather was terrific and only one thing was wrong. I dare say you are all aware of rud, meaning 鈥渢hing鈥�, and its derivatives, rud sam bith (anything), a h-uile rud (everything) and rudeigin (something). Be aware also of n矛, which likewise means 鈥渢hing鈥�. It is almost interchangeable with rud in such phrases as n矛 sam bith (anything), a h-uile n矛 (everything) and nitheigin (something), although the last is not so common. Note that while the singular form n矛 has a long 鈥渋鈥�, the plural nithean has a short 鈥渋鈥� and the 鈥渢h鈥� is pronounced distinctly as an 鈥渉鈥�. One difference between the two is that rudeigin is sometimes used as an adverb meaning 鈥渁 little, slightly鈥� eg bha mi rudeigin sg矛th (I was a bit tired); I am not aware of nitheigin being employed in the same way.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha b鈥� e an streapadair a b鈥� ainmeile ri linn: he wasn鈥檛 the most famous climber of his day. Ri linn - of his day/time/generation. The 鈥渓鈥� here is lenited, although this is not shown in the written form. It is broader than the unlenited 鈥渓鈥� in ri a linn (in her day). If you have a Gaelic teacher or a Gaelic-speaking friend, ask him or her to demonstrate the different 鈥渓鈥漵 here 鈥� it is not easy for a learner (being one of the 鈥渇ine tunings鈥� of the language) and you must listen very carefully.