麻豆约拍

Thachair mi ri fear turas, air taobh siar na G脿idhealtachd, aig nach robh G脿idhlig ged a bha i aig a dhithis ph脿rant. Cha robh fios agam air a sin agus, leis gu robh blas Gaidhealach aige ann am Beurla, dh鈥檉haighnich mi dheth 鈥� 鈥淎 bheil G脿idhlig agaibh?鈥� 鈥淣o,鈥� ars鈥� esan rium, 鈥淚 got put off it as a young man 鈥� by a Gaelic-speaker.鈥�

Dh鈥檉haighnich mi dheth gu d猫 bha e a鈥� ciallachadh. 鈥淯ill,鈥� ars鈥� esan, ann am Beurla, 鈥渃huir an duine sin an dearbh cheist orm, agus thuirt mi ris gun robh mi a鈥� tuigsinn na G脿idhlig ach nach robh comas agam labhairt innte. Agus thuirt esan riumsa gu robh mi coltach ris a鈥� ch霉 aige. Bha an c霉 a鈥� tuigsinn na G脿idhlig ged nach robh comas aigesan labhairt innte nas motha. Bhon uairsin thr猫ig mi a鈥� Gh脿idhlig.鈥�

鈥橲 e sgeul duilich a th鈥檃nn agus tha mi鈥檔 d貌chas nach eil G脿idheal sam bith an-diugh a鈥� deanamh di-meas mar sin air duine de a leithid. Th脿inig an c貌mhradh sin gu mo chuimhne an t-seachdainn-sa as d猫idh na thachair an t-seachdainn 鈥檚 a chaidh anns na St脿itean Aonaichte. Chuala mi aithris gu bheil siompansaidh air Beurla ionnsachadh. Chan e d矛reach tuigse a th鈥檃ige, ach comas-labhairt.

Uill, 鈥檚 e sin a tha an luchd-rannsachaidh a鈥� cumail a-mach co-dhi霉. Nuair a chanas an siompansaidh 鈥渁aaaugh鈥� (neo rudeigin mar sin), tha e coltach gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渦isge鈥�. Bu toil leam cluinntinn d猫 chanadh e airson 鈥渦isge-beatha鈥�!

Ach cha chreid mise nach do rinn an luchd-rannsachaidh mearachd, agus iad a鈥� teagasg Beurla don t-siompansaidh. 鈥橲 e G脿idhlig a bu ch貌ir a bhith aige. Bhiodh e fada na b鈥檉hasa dha. Tha beagan G脿idhlig aig a h-uile siompansaidh, co-dhi霉 bha e ann an 鈥渟goil鈥� neo nach robh. Tha cuimhn鈥� agam air turas a bha mi ann an Sutha Lunnainn faisg air c猫idse nan siompansaidhean. Th脿inig fear de na beathaichean thugam agus dh鈥檌arr e orm biadh a thoirt dha 鈥� an se貌rsa a gheibh sinn bho chearcan. 鈥淯gh, ugh, ugh,鈥� thuirt e. Ach gu mi-fhortanach, cha robh ugh agam dha.

Agus nach eil e inntinneach mar a bhruidhneas na beathaichean ann an d貌igh eadar-dhealaichte far a bheil c脿nan eadar-dhealaichte aig na daoine. Mar eisimpleir, canaidh cearcan ann an d霉thaich na Beurla 鈥渃hook, chook鈥�, ach ann an d霉thaich na G脿idhlig, canaidh iad 鈥済og, gog.鈥� Agus seallaibh air caoraich. Ann an Sasainn, 鈥檚 e 鈥淏aa, baa鈥� a chanas iad. Ach cha chuala mi caora ann an Alba a r脿dh 鈥渂aa, baa鈥� a-riamh. Nuair a bhios iad a鈥� m猫ilich ann an Alba, canaidh iad, 鈥渕猫, m猫.鈥� Tha mi a鈥� deanamh dheth gur e sin buaidh na G脿idhlig orra.

Agus thachair mi ri fear turas aig an robh beathach a bha comasach air ceistean poilitigeach 鈥� seadh, poilitigeach - a fhreagairt. Chan e siompansaidh a bh鈥檃nn, ach cat. Chaidh mi a ch猫ilidh air an duine agus thuirt e rium, 鈥渟eall air a鈥� chat seo. Cuiridh mi ceist air mu phoileataigs 脌isia agus bheir e freagairt chiallach dhomh.鈥�

Uill, cha robh mi ga chreidsinn agus dh鈥檌nnis mi sin dha. 鈥淐eart, ma tha,鈥� ars鈥� esan, 鈥渟eall air seo.鈥� Agus chuir e an cat air uchd. 鈥淐貌,鈥� thuirt e ris a鈥� chat (ged a bha e a鈥� bruidhinn ann am Beurla),鈥渃貌 an duine a bha os cionn arm nan Coimiunach air a鈥� Mh脿rsadh Fhada ann an S矛na ann an naoi ceud deug, d脿 fhichead 鈥檚 a naoi (1949). Shlaod e earball a鈥� chait, agus thug an cat an fhreagairt cheart. Choimhead e suas agus thuirt e 鈥淢ao!鈥�

Bhuamsa, Ruairidh MacIlleathain, d霉rachdan an t-samhraidh dhuibh uile鈥�

dh'fhaighnich: asked; thr猫ig: forsook, abandoned; siompansaidh: chimpanzee; luchd-rannsachaidh: researchers; Sutha Lunnainn: London Zoo; a' m猫ilich: bleating; ceistean poilitigeach: political questions; 脌isia: Asia; arm nan Coimiunach: the Communist army; S矛na: China.

thachair mi ri fear: I met a man; ars' esan: he said; nach robh comas agam labhairt innte: that I did not have the ability to speak in her ("G脿idhlig" is feminine); sgeul duilich: a sad story; a. deanamh di-meas air: showing disrespect, contempt for; co-dhi霉 bha e ann an sgoil neo nach robh: whether it (he) was in school or not; tha cuimhn'agam air: I remember; tha mi a' deanamh dheth gur e sin buaidh na G脿idhlig orra: I reckon that is the effect of Gaelic on them; bheir e freagairt chiallach dhomh: it (he) will give me a sensible answer; dh'innis mi sin dha: I told him that; chuir e an cat air uchd: he put the cat on his lap; air a' Mh脿rsadh Fhada: on the Long March.

Bhiodh e fada na b'fhasa dha: it would be much easier for it (him). The comparative form of furasda (fearasda, farasda) is "fasa" but it never sounds like "fasa" because the "f" is lenited and becomes soundless. In the present and future tenses of the indicative mood of the verb it is "nas fhasa" which sounds like "nuh sassuh." If the verb is in the past tense or in the subjunctive mood (which it is in the letter) it is "na b.fhasa" which sounds like "nuh bassuh." Tha leughadh nas fhasa na sgr矛obhadh: reading is easier than writing (present, indicative). Bidh sin nas fhasa: that will be easier (future, indicative). Bha e na b'fhasa dha ruith nuair a bha e 貌g: it was easier for him to run when he was young (past, indicative). Bhiodh e na b.fhasa dhaibh an taigh a pheantadh nan robh an turadh ann: it would be easier for them to paint the house if the weather were dry (subjunctive).

Cha chreid mise nach do rinn an luchd-rannsachaidh mearachd: I reckon the researchers made a mistake. This phraseology is used extensively in informal conversation and often confuses the learner because of its apparent double negative. Cha chreid mi gu bheil e deiseil fhathast: I don't think it is ready yet. Cha chreid mi nach eil e deiseil a-nis: I think it is ready now. Q: An e siud an duine thall? (is that the man over there?) A: Cha chreid mi nach e (I think so). Try to master this and then attempt it on your Gaelic teacher. He/she will be impressed!