Take two: These people didn't have much time to be idle

An dàrna turas: Cha robh cus ùine aig na daoine sin a bhith nan tàmh

Let's have a look at this conversation again.

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Tha mi an dòchas gum bi an taisbeanadh seo a' sealltainn mar a bha cùisean le obair an tuathanais.

I hope this exhibition will show how things were with the farm work.

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A bheil thu a' ciallachadh nam monaidhean fo fhraoch, nan dailtean fo dhìtheanan agus nan craobhan fo bhlàth?

Do you mean the moors carpeted with (under) heather, the fields covered in daisies/flowers and the trees in bloom?

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Chan eil buileach! Dè mu dheidhinn nan achaidhean fo bhàrr, an talamh–ionaltraidh fo chaoraich agus nan tobhtaichean fo fheanntag?

Not quite! What about the fields under crops, the pasture under sheep and the ruins covered in nettles?

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Tha gach nì fìor na dhòigh fhèin! Cha robh cus ùine aig na daoine sin a bhith nan tàmh. 'S e sin a bha nam inntinn!

Each thing is true in its own way! These people didn't have much time to be idle. That's what I had in mind!

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Cha robh an leithid de dh'acfhainn is de theicneòlas aca ’s a th' againn an–diugh.

They did not have the kind of equipment and technology that we have today.

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Chuala mi mu chroitear a bha a' beachdachadh air an dearbh rud: bhiodh e a' càradh an rathaid le seann acfhainn aige: obair chruaidh gun duais. Agus gu tric choinnicheadh luchd–turais ris. Bha e follaiseach do dhuine sam bith gun robh e trang – bha e na ghurraban ag obair air an rathad sin – ach bha ceistean gu leòr aca dha.

I heard about a crofter who was thinking the exact same thing: he would be repairing the road with old equipment: hard, thankless work. And visitors would often meet him. It was obvious to anyone that he was busy – he was crouching down busy working on that road – but they had plenty of questions for him.

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Agus dè thachair?

And what happened?

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Aon turas, thuirt fear dhiubh ris nach robh facal sa Ghàidhlig cho cabhagach ri mañana. Nuair a chuala an croitear sin, bha e na thost.

One time, one of them said to him that there wasn't a word in Gaelic as urgent as mañana. When the crofter heard that, he was silent.

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Cò an t–amadan agus cò an duine glic, saoil?

Who is the fool and who is the wise man, I wonder?

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Tha daoine nan cabhag – nan èiginn fiù 's – a' faighinn chun na Gàidhealtachd is nan eileanan airson saor–làithean. Agus –

People are in a hurry – even desperate – to get to the Highlands and islands for a holiday. And –

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Agus nuair a ruigeas iad, tha iad a' smaoineachadh nach eil na daoine an sin nan cabhag.

And when they arrive, they think that the people there aren't in any hurry.

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Saoil an robh na daoine a thàinig romhainn ro mhodhail?

Do you think the people who came before us (our forebears) were too polite?

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Deagh cheist!

Good question!