蜜芽传媒

Leugh mi aithris bheag an l脿 eile air a鈥� Ghaidheal chli霉iteach, Alasdair MacCoinnich. Thuirt an aithris gu robh a chuid G脿idhlig gu math feumail dha oir 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh e a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri Gaidheil na chuid obrach. Agus c脿ite ann an Alba a bha seo? Uill, chan ann an Alba idir a bha e, ach ann an Canada.

Agus, c貌 Alasdair MacCoinnich a tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥� oir bha barrachd na aonan dhiubh a choisinn cli霉 ann an Canada. Uill, Sir Alasdair MacCoinnich, a thogadh ann an Eilean Le貌dhais. Tuigidh sibh ann am mionaid no dh脿, carson a tha mi a鈥� cur cuideam air 鈥淪ir鈥�.

鈥橲 ann le bhith a鈥� rannsachadh na d霉thcha a choisinn Alasdair a chli霉 agus, an l脿 an-diugh, ann am British Columbia agus ann an T矛rean an Iar-thuath, tha aona 脿ite deug, eadar beanntan is aibhnichean, a tha a鈥� giulan ainm. 鈥橲 i Abhainn MhicCoinnich, am Mackenzie River, a tha c貌rr is d脿 mh矛le m矛le a dh鈥檉haide, as ainmeile dhiubh sin. Ann an seachd deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1789) chaidh e s矛os an abhainn, tro dh霉thaich fhiadhaich, gus an do r脿inig e a鈥� mhuir.

Shaoileadh tu gu robh MacCoinnich air a bhith toilichte. Ach gu m矛-fhortanach dha, bha e a鈥� coimhead airson abhainn a bheireadh don Chuan S猫imh e. Ach tha beul Abhainn MhicCoinnich gu tuath air a sin anns a鈥� Chuan Arctach, agus chuir Alasdair roimhe feuchainn a-rithist, gu deas air sin.

Bha e air na sgilean aige ionnsachadh, airson a bhith a鈥� fuireach a-muigh ann an ceann a tuath Chanada, le bhith ag obair do Chompanaidh an Iar-thuath, buidheann a bha a鈥� malairt ann an seicheannan no b猫in. Is a bharrachd air Gaidheil, bha aige ri d猫iligeadh ri feadhainn d霉thchasach, na h-Innseanaich, muinntir na Frangais, agus muinntir Arcaibh, oir bha m貌ran acasan an s脿s anns a鈥� ghn矛omhachas sin. Gun teagamh, bha MacCoinnich ioma-ch脿nanach.

Ann an seachd deug, naochad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1792), th貌isich e a-rithist air rannsachadh na d霉thcha agus, an turas seo, r脿inig e an Cuan S猫imh gu tuath air far a bheil Vancouver an-diugh. Mar sin, b鈥� esan a鈥� chiad duine geal a chaidh eadar costa sear agus costa siar Chanada. Dh鈥檉hoillsich e leabhar mu dheidhinn ann an ochd deug 鈥檚 a h-aon (1801) agus, bliadhna as d猫idh sin, chaidh inbhe ridire a bhuileachadh air.

Fichead bliadhna as d猫idh sin, rugadh Alasdair MacCoinnich eile, ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Cha deach ridire a dh猫anamh dheth idir, ged a chaidh a mholadh air a shon tr矛 tursan. Dhi霉lt e gach trup. Chaidh e a Chanada nuair a bha e na dhuine 貌g agus chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Ontario, far an robh e an s脿s, mar a bha athair roimhe, ann a bhith a鈥� togail taighean. As d猫idh 霉ine, th貌isich e mar fhear-deasachaidh air p脿ipear-naidheachd Libearalach. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, chaidh e an s脿s ann am poileataics agus dh鈥櫭╥rich e gu bhith na cheannard air na Libearalaich.

Agus seo, ann an d貌igh, far an do nochd ceangal eadar e fh猫in agus Sir Alasdair MacCoinnich, a bh鈥� air a bhith marbh bliadhnaichean, oir bha an riaghaltas Can猫idianach a鈥� feuchainn ri rathad-iarainn a thogail eadar costa sear agus costa siar Chanada 鈥� proiseact m貌r dha-r矛reabh. Dh鈥櫭╥rich sgainneal timcheall a鈥� phr貌iseict agus ghabh Alasdair MacCoinnich brath air sin airson cur 脿s don riaghaltas. Bha e a-nise na Phr矛omhaire, a鈥� chiad fhear Libearalach a-riamh ann an Canada.

Ach cha b鈥� esan a鈥� chiad phr矛omhaire Can猫idianach aig an robh buinteanas don Ghaidhealtachd. Rugadh am fear a bh鈥� ann roimhe cuideachd ann an Alba is bheir sinn s霉il airsan an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: aithris: report; cli霉iteach: renowned; Alasdair MacCoinnich: Alexander Mackenzie; oir: because; T矛rean an Iar-thuath: Northwest Territories; an Cuan Arctach: the Arctic Ocean; ioma-ch脿nanach: multilingual; fear-deasachaidh: editor; ceannard: leader; rathad-iarainn: railway line; Pr矛omhaire: Prime Minister.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha barrachd na aonan dhiubh a choisinn cli霉: there was more than one of them that built up a reputation; a tha c貌rr is d脿 mh矛le m矛le a dh鈥檉haide: that is more than 2000 miles long; tro dh霉thaich fhiadhaich, gus an do r脿inig e a鈥� mhuir: through wild country, until he reached the sea; a bheireadh don Chuan S猫imh e: that would take him to the Pacific Ocean; buidheann a bha a鈥� malairt ann an seicheannan no b猫in: a group which traded in hides or skins; muinntir na Frangais agus muinntir Arcaibh: French-speaking people and Orcadians; eadar costa agus costa siar Chanada: between the east coast and west coast of Canada; chiadh inbhe ridire a bhuileachadh air: the status of a knight was conferred upon him (ie he was knighted); cha deach ridire a dh猫anamh dheth ged a chaidh a mholadh air a shon tri tursan: he was not knighted although he was recommended for it three times; dhi霉lt e gach trup: he refused each time; pr貌iseact m貌r dha-r矛reabh: a really big project; dh鈥櫭╥rich sgainneal timcheall a鈥� phr貌iseict: a scandal arose in connection with the project; ghabh X brath air sin: X took advantage of that.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥淐uid鈥� is used twice in this week鈥檚 Litir do express ownership or acquisition. Note that the noun governed by cuid is always in the genitive: gu robh a chuid G脿idhlig gu math feumail: that his Gaelic would be very useful 鈥� this would, in older Gaelic, be a chuid G脿idhlige. Also, 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh e a鈥檇猫iligeadh ri Gaidheil na chuid obrach: it is often he would be dealing with Gaels in his work. If the person related to cuid were female, we would say a cuid G脿idhlig (her Gaelic) and a cuid obrach (her work). This works in similar ways for all persons eg mo chuid obrach (my work), do chuid obrach (your work), ar cuid obrach (our work), ur cuid obrach (your work), an cuid obrach (their work).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chuir Alasdair roimhe feuchainn a-rithist, gu deas air sin: Alexander decided to try again, to the south of there. This is an important idiomatic form and infinitely preferable to 鈥渞inn e an 脿irde inntinn鈥� (ie he made up his mind) which is a direct translation of the English. It works, as follows, with the prepositional pronouns associated with ro (roimh): chuir mi romham (I decided); chuir i roimhpe (she decided); chuir iad romhpa (they decided).