Scottish Gaelic Column July 1998 - New Look to Old Tales

The Scottish Gaelic Column

Tha an colbh Gàidhlig seo air a tharraing à "Cothrom", an ràitheachan dà-chànanach aig CLI. Thèid "Cothrom" fhaighinn an asgaidh le buill ChLI, an carthannas airson luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig.

This Gaelic column is drawn from "Cothrom", the bilingual quarterly magazine from CLI. "Cothrom" is distributed free to members of CLI, the charity for learners and supporters of Scots Gaelic

Dreach Nuadh air Seann Sgeòil	New Look to Old Tales
"Flòraidh 's na Ròin", sgeul is dealbhan le Gemma Champ agus Màiri Kidd; Acair, Gàidhlig, £4.99 bog	"Flòraidh 's na Ròin", story and illustrations by Gemma Champ and Màiri Kidd; Acair, Gaelic, £4.99 paperback
"An t-Isean Glas" le Hans Christian Andersen, ath-innse is dealbhan le Ian Beck, eadar-theangachadh le Norma NicLeòid; Acair, Gàidhlig, £9.99 cruaidh	"An t-Isean Glas" by Hans Christian Andersen, retold and illustrations by Ian Beck, translation by Norma NicLeòid; Acair, Gaelic, £9.99 hardback
Tha leabhraichean cloinne feumail do luchd ionnsachaidh air son adhbharan gu math follaiseach. Tha iad nas fhasa a leughadh na leabhraichean inbhich agus gu tric bidh dealbhan ann a bheir dhut cnag na sgeòil ged nach aithne dha a h-uile facal. Faodaidh fios is cinnt a bhith agad gum bi leabhraichean cloinne ùra air an sgrìobhadh ann an Gàidhlig an latha an-diugh; cànan soilleir, sìmplidh, le gnàthsan cainnt a thuigeas daoine agus a bheir blas na Gàidhlig dhan chòmhradh agad.	Children's books are useful to Gaelic learners for pretty obvious reasons. They are easier to read than adult books, and often there are pictures which give you the gist of the story even if you don't recognise every word. You can be quite certain that new children's books will be written in today's Gaelic; clear, simple language with expressions which people will understand and which will lend a true Gaelic flavour to your conversation.
Agus nach fhiach dhuinn uile a bhith mothachail gu bheil e gu math coltach gur i Gàidhlig clann nan croileagan is nan aonadan bunsgoil an-diugh an aon seòrsa Gàidhlig a bhios beò tron linn ri tighinn?	And should we not all be aware that quite probably it is the Gaelic of children in the playgroups and primary schools today that will be the only sort of Gaelic still living through the next century?
'Se "Flòraidh 's na Ròin" dreach ùr air seann uirsgeul Gàidhealach. Tha nighean bheag a' coinneachadh ris an fheadhainn as urrainn an cruth atharrachadh bho bhith 'nan ròin gu bhith 'nan daoine is air ais. Tha fear dhiubh a' sealltainn dhi an dachaigh aca fo na stuaghan, ach ('se seo an car ùr-nodha), tha a' mhuir a-nis air a puinnseanachadh le truailleadh a bhios daoine a' cur innte agus tha na h-èisg a' fàs tinn. Dè ghabhas dèanamh mu dheidhinn, agus ciamar as urrainn do Fhlòraidh, le beagan cuideachaidh bho 'caraidean is an tidsear, cobhair a thoirt dha na creutairean mara?	"Flòraidh 's na Ròin" [Flòraidh and the seals] is a new version of an old Highland myth. A little girl meets the people who can change their shape from seals to people and back again. One of them shows her their home beneath the waves, but (and here's the modern twist), the sea is now poisoned with pollution which people put into it and the fish are becoming sick. What can be done about this, and how can Flòraidh, with a little help from her friends and their teacher, give assistance to the sea-creatures?
Beachd mhath, sgeulachd shnog agus dealbhan brèagha; ach shaoil mi gun robh rudeigin a dhìth, ged nach b'urrainn dhomh bàrr mo chorraig a chur air. Cha tigeadh an sgeul beò dhomh. Leugh mi dhan nighean agam i, ged nach eil Gàidhlig aice. Feumaidh gun do chaill i rudeigin san eadar-theangachadh, air neo 's dòcha gu bheil mo nighean ro shean air a son aig a dhà dheug, ach cha do dhrùidh i oirre gu mòr.	A good idea, a nice story and beautiful pictures; but I felt that something was missing, though I couldn't put my finger on it. The tale wouldn't come alive for me. I read it to my daughter although, she doesn't speak Gaelic. It must have lost something in the translation or perhaps she's too old for it at twelve, but she wasn't particularly impressed.
Co-dhiù, 'nam bheachd-sa bhiodh an leabhar seo glè mhath do neach ionnsachaidh aig ìre eadar-mheadhanach. Tha gu leòr de ghnàthsan cainnt fheumail a' nochdadh ann, gu h-àraidh anns na còmhraidhean eadar na caractairean; abairtean leithid "Mo chreach-sa dèanta!" agus "Is beag m'fheagal".	Nonetheless, in my view this book would be very good for learners at intermediate level. Plenty of useful expressions appear in it, particularly in the conversations between the characters; phrases such as "I'm done for!" and "I'm not scared".
Chòrd "An t-Isean Glas" nas motha ris an nighinn agam, droch eadar-theangachadh bhuamsa ann neo as, agus feumaidh mi aideachadh gun do chòrd e nas motha riumsa cuideachd.	My daughter enjoyed "An t-Isean Glas" [the pale duckling; "Ugly Duckling"] more, despite my bad translation, and I have to admit I that I too liked it more.
'Se seann stòraidh le Hans Christian Andersen a th'ann air 'ath-innse ann an Gàidhlig bheothail ghlan. Mar leughadair, bha tòrr a bharrachd co-fhaireachdainn agam ris an isean bheag bhochd na bha agam ri Flòraidh agus a càirdean. Tha an sgeul seo a' beantainn ri ciad eagal a h-uile fear is tè againn – 'se sin eagal fuadaich - agus 's mathaid gur e sin as adhbhar gu bheil i a' còrdadh cho math ri gach ginealach ùr, ge b'e dè an cànan a bhruidhneas iad.	It's an old tale by Hans Christian Andersen retold in good and lively Gaelic. As a reader, I had much more sympathy with the poor little duckling than I had with Flòraidh and her friends. This story touches upon the primeval fear of us all - the fear of being cast out - and perhaps that's why it appeals so much to each new generation, whatever language they speak.
Tha tòrr aig an sgeul ri ràdh ri cloinn, agus cha tèid i a-mach a fasan a-chaoidh. 'S math a faicinn sa Ghàidhlig mu dheireadh thall. B'fheàirrde saoghal na Gàidhlig barrachd den t-seòrsa. 'Se an aon ghearan a bh'aig an nighinn agam (tha inntinnean cloinne gu math pongail) ciamar a thàinig an t-isean beò fad a' gheamhraidh? Ceist mhath. Air an duilleig a tha seo, sin agad an t-isean is e a' coimhead cho truagh 's a ghabhas san t-sneachd gun fhasgadh gun bhiadh, agus air an ath dhuilleig sin esan a-rithist a' sgèith san adhar agus an t-earrach air tighinn!	The tale has much to say to children, and it will never go out of fashion. It's good to see it in Gaelic at long last. The Gaelic world would be the better for more of the same sort. My daughter's only complaint (children's minds are very literal) was how does the duckling survive through the Winter? Good question. On one page, there's the duckling looking as sad as can be in the snow without shelter or food, and on the next there he is again flying in the sky, Spring having arrived!
Cha chreid mi, ge-tà, nach bi gearan eile aig pàrantan agus tidsearan, agus 'se sin prìs an leabhair. Air deich not ach sgilling tha e car cosgail, ach chanainn gur e seo sgeul a bhios a' chlann ag iarraidh cluinntinn a-rithist 's a-rithist gun a bhith a' fàs sgìth dhith. 'S dòcha gum biodh an neach ionnsachaidh ga mheas ro dhaor, ge-tà, air sgàth 's nach fhaigh thu an t-uabhas de theacs ann air do chuid airgid.	I would reckon, however, that parents and teachers will have another complaint, and that's the price of the book. At a penny short of ten pounds it's a bit expensive, but I would say that this is a story that the children will want to hear again and again without tiring of it. Maybe the learner would judge it too dear, however, since you don't get a great deal of text for your money.
Sin agaibh e. Leabhar ùr-nodhach a' buntainn ri sgeul aosta Ghàidhealach; agus riochd Gàidhlig air sgeul chlasaigeach aig ùghdar iomraiteach nach maireann. Deagh naidheachd do chlann, do thidsearan, do phàrantan agus 's dòcha do luchd ionnsachaidh le beagan air fhàgail san sporan as dèidh an cunntasan a phàigheadh dheth.	So there you are. A modern tale based upon an old Highland legend; and a Gaelic edition of a classic story by a famous author of a previous generation. Good news for children, for teachers, for parents and perhaps for Gaelic learners with a wee bit left in the wallet after paying off the bills.
Ridseard Watson	Richard Watson
Cuimbria	Cumbria

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