麻豆约拍

Tha a鈥� bhliadhna seo air a bhith gu math dona airson crithean-talmhainn. Anns an Turc agus ann an Taiwan 鈥� chaill na m矛ltean am beatha nuair a thuit togalaichean 脿rd鈥� orra. Ach nuair a tha crith-thalmhainn ann, chan ann d矛reach anns na bailtean m貌ra, far a bheil togalaichean 脿rda, a tha an cunnart. Faodaidh e bhith gu math cunnartach air a鈥� chladach cuideachd. 鈥楽 e is coireach airson sin rud ris an canar tsunami.

鈥楽 e facal Iapanach a th鈥檃nn an tsunami, agus 鈥檚 e am facal as fhe脿rr a th鈥檃nn airson a leithid. Ann am Beurla bithear a鈥� bruidhinn air tidal wave, ach chan eil gnothach sam bith aig an t矛de-mh脿ra ri tsunami. 鈥楽 e crith-thalmhainn a tha ag adhbharachadh tsunami, ach crith-thalmhainn fon mhuir, is chan ann air t矛r.

Bidh sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, leis gu bheil uachdar na talmhainn cho seasmhach ann an Alba, nach tachradh tsunami ann an seo uair sam bith. Uill, ma 鈥檚 e sin ur beachd, tha sibh ce脿rr, a-r猫ir choltais. Ged nach eil iad a鈥� tachairt ann a seo ach ainneamh, tha iad air a bhith ann bho 脿m gu 脿m.

O chionn coig bliadhn鈥� deug ar fhichead (35), lorg dithis 脿s Oilthigh Dhun Eideann, gainmheach fo uachdar na talmhainn faisg air a鈥� bhaile. Shaoil iad gur e tuil a bu choireach 鈥� tuil-aibhne 鈥� is gur iad uisgeachan-aibhne a ghluais a鈥� ghainmheach agus a dh鈥檉h脿g ann a sin i. Cha robh iad dhen bheachd gu robh gnothach sam bith aig a鈥� mhuir rithe.

Ach, tro th矛de, lorg feadhainn eile gainmheach dhen aon se貌rsa suas is s矛os costa sear na h-Alba. Agus bha fosailean innte a bh鈥檃ir tighinn bhon mhuir. Tha e coltach gun deach a thilgeil air cladach na h-Alba aig an aon 脿m le tuinn mh貌ra mh貌ra o chionn c貌rr is seachd m矛le bliadhna. Ach de dh鈥檃dhbharaich na tuinn mh貌ra? Uill, a-r猫ir choltais, tsunami.

Bha crith-thalmhainn anns a鈥� chuan eadar Nirribhidh agus Innis T矛le. Ghluais p脿irt de ghrunnd na mara a bha cho m貌r ri Alba, agus dh鈥檃dhbharaich sin fairge mh貌r 鈥� nas motha nan stoirm as miosa a chunnaic sinne a-riamh. Ann an Alba bha na tuinn sia meatairean na b鈥櫭爄rde na 矛re l脿n na mara.

Agus tha fianais aig luchd-saidheans gun do thachair an tsunami as t-fhoghar. Ciamar a tha iad a鈥� deanamh sin a-mach? Uill, gu s矛mplidh. Bha na tuinn cho m貌r 鈥檚 gun do rinn iad milleadh air t矛r far an robh lusan is craobhan a鈥� f脿s. Agus chaidh measan a thiodhlacadh anns a鈥� ghainmheach a chaidh a thilgeil air t矛r leis an fhairge. Measan a bhios abaich d矛reach as t-fhoghar.

Tha mi toilichte nach robh mi ann airson an tsunami sin fhaicinn. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh daoine ann an Alba aig an 脿m agus as t-fhoghar tha deagh theans ann gu robh iad faisg air a鈥� chladach. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do chaill feadhainn am beatha. Chuala mi naidheachd mu dheidhinn ge貌laiche 鈥� e貌laiche-chreagan 鈥� a bh鈥檃ir cladach ann an Al脿sca latha a bha seo, nuair a chunnaic e rudeigin annasach a鈥� tachairt anns a鈥� mhuir. 鈥淢o chreach,鈥� thuirt e ris fh猫in, 鈥渢ha tsunami a鈥� tighinn.鈥� Agus ruith e air falbh bhon chladach cho luath 鈥檚 a b鈥檜rrainn dha. Mura b鈥檈 gu robh e貌las s貌nraichte aige, bha a鈥� mhuir air a dhol thairis air agus a bh脿thadh. Ach cha robh e貌las mar sin aig na daoine o chionn seachd m矛le bliadhna.

Agus an tachair tsunami a-rithist ann an Alba air sg脿th gluasad grunnd na mara faisg air Nirribhidh? Tachraidh 鈥� ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi e greis fhathast. Agus gheibh sinn rabhadh ro-l脿imh 鈥� co-dhi霉 d脿 uair a th矛de mus ruig na tuinn mh貌ra Alba. Bidh sinn be貌 an d貌chas nach tachair e, ma th脿, aig d脿 uair 鈥檚 a mhadainn.

crith-thalmhainn, crithean-talmhainn: earthquake,earthquakes; togalaichean: buildings; cunnart, cunnartach: danger, dangerous;Iapanach: Japanese: ag adhbharachadh: causing; seasmhach: stable;ainneamh: rare, rarely; Oilthigh Dhun Eideann: Edinburgh University;gainmheach: sand; tuil, tuil-aibhne: flood, riverine flood; fosailean: fossils;grunnd na mara: the sea bed; abaich: ripe; ge貌laiche, e貌laiche-chreagan:geologist; Al脿sca: Alaska; annasach: unusual; greis: a while.

chaill na m矛ltean am beatha: thousands lost theirlives; faodaidh e bhith gu math cunnartach: it can be extremely dangerous;uachdar na talmhainn: the surface of the earth; a-r猫ir choltais: apparently;bho 脿m gu 脿m: from time to time; tro th矛de: over (through) time; costa searna h-Alba: the east coast of Scotland; tha e coltach gun deach a thilgeil: itappears it was thrown: o chionn c貌rr is seachd m矛le bliadhna: over seventhousand years ago; anns a chuan eadar Nirribhidh agus Innis T矛le: in theocean between Norway and Iceland; dh'adhbharaich sin fairge mh貌r: thatcaused a great sea; na b'脿irde na 矛re l脿n na mara: higher than the high-tidemark; chaidh measan a thiodhlacadh: fruit were buried; tha deagh theansann: there is a good chance; cho luath 's a burrainn dha: as quickly as hecould; mura be gu robh e貌las s貌nraichte aige, bha a' mhuir air a dhol thairisair agus a bh脿thadh: if it had not been for his special knowledge, the seawould have engulfed him and drowned him; gheibh sinn rabhadh ro-l脿imh:we will get a warning beforehand; mus ruig na tuinn Alba: before the wavesreach Scotland.

tuinn mh貌ra mh貌ra: very large waves. Thesingular is tonn m貌r. As tonn is pluralised by slenderising its terminal (inthis case only) vowel, the attributive adjective is lenited in the plural. This isa general rule in Gaelic. If the adjective ends in a consonant and has onlyone syllable, we add a terminal -a-. Thus c霉 m貌r becomes coin mh貌ra (bigdogs); each dubh becomes eich dhubha (black horses); boireannach beartachbecomes boireannaich bheartach (wealthy women); g猫adh glas becomesge貌idh ghlasa (greylag geese). In some places, tonn is pluralised, not byslenderisation but by a terminal an-. In this case the lenition of the attributiveadjective no longer applies and we get tonnan m貌ra, not tonnan mh貌ra.

chan eil gnothach sam bith aig an t矛de-mharari tsunami: a tsunami has nothing to do with the tide. ...gu robh gnothachsam bith aig a' mhuir rithe: that the sea had anything to do with it (fem).Gnothach (business, matter, affair) is an extremely useful word and is employedin many contexts. This is one of its commonest uses. Gabh mo lethsgeul,ach an robh gnothach agadsa ris a' mhilleadh air a ch脿r agam?: excuse me,but did you have anything to do with the damage to my car? Cha robh gudearbh. Cha robh gnothach sam bith agam ris. Certainly not. I had nothingto do with it.