Bilingual transcription: Miannan

Watch this còmhradh (conversation) between Sophie and Rona.

SOPHIE: ’S e Etta a thug dhomh a’ mhòr-chuid de na leabhraichean seo. Abair gu bheil iad inntinneach. Tha cuid mu eachdraidh na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean, agus cuid eile mu phròiseactan agus iomairtean coimhearsnachd.

Etta gave me most of these books. They are really interesting. Some are about the history of the Highlands and Islands and others about community projects.

RONA: Bidh mi gad ionndrainn ma dh’fhalbhas tu.I

I’ll miss you if you go.

SOPHIE: Cha do dh’fhalbh mi fhathast.

I haven’t gone yet.

RONA: Ach tha thu a’ smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn?

But you’re thinking about it?

SOPHIE: Tha. Math dh’fhaodte gum biodh e math cùl a chur ris a’ bhaile-mhòr airson greis. Tha miann làidir agam gluasad dha na h-Eileanan an Iar.

Yes. It might be good to turn my back on the city for a while. I’ve got a strong desire to move to the Western Isles.

RONA: Cha robh thu a-riamh anns na h-Eileanan!

You’ve never been to the islands!

SOPHIE: Cha robh. A bheil mi gòrach smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn?

No, I haven’t. Am I mad to even think about it?

RONA: Chan eil idir. Chan eil càil gad chumail sa bhaile seo. Mur a h-obraich cùisean mar bu mhiann leat, faodaidh tu tilleadh.

No, not at all. There’s nothing keeping you in the city. If things don’t work out, you can come back.

SOPHIE: Chan eil ceangal teaghlaich agam an àite sam bith ach tha deagh charaidean agam an seo.

I don’t have family ties anywhere but I have good friends here.

RONA: Agus bithidh deagh charaidean agad an seo. Ach b’ urrainn dhut caraidean ùra a dhèanamh ann an àite ùr.

And you will have good friends here. But you could make new friends in a new place.

SOPHIE: Bha miann agam tighinn a dh’Alba agus rinn mi sin.

I had a desire to come to Scotland and I did that.

RONA: A-nise, ’s dòcha gu bheil e an dàn dhut a bhith nad chroitear eileanach!?

Now, it’s maybe your destiny to become an island crofter!

SOPHIE: Math dh’fhaodte nach bi mi gu mòran feum air croit ach tha iarraidh agam air dòigh-beatha eadar-dhealaichte.

I might not be of any use on a croft but I do want a different life style.

RONA: Dè mu dheidhinn obair, àite-fuirich, agus airgead?

What about work, a place to stay, money?

SOPHIE: Dhèanainn a’ chùisle glè bheag de theachd a-steach. Tha airgead agam a dh’fhàg mo mhàthair agam. B’ urrainn dhomh clasaichean cànain Eòrpach a theagasg –nam biodh duine gan iarraidh! (gàire)

I can make do with very little income. I’ve got some money my mother left me. I could teach European language classes –if anyone wanted them! (laughs)

RONA: Bidh clann nan eilean a’ dèanamh iomadh cànan anns an sgoil.

Island children learn many different languages in school.

SOPHIE: Dheidheadh agam air obair ann am bùth, dheidheadh agam air frithealadh ann an taigh-òsta agus dheidheadh agam air glanadh a dhèanamh ann an taigh-aoigheachd.

I could work in a shop, I could waitress in a hotel and I could clean in a guest house.

RONA: (A’ coimhead mun cuairt agus le gàire) Tha thu math air glanadh!

(looking around with a smile) You’re good at cleaning!

SOPHIE: Co-dhiù, tha mi a’ dol a ghabhail cuairt tro na h-Eileanan an Iar, agus is mathaid gun lorg mi an dearbh àite!

Anway, I’m going to take a tour through the islands and maybe I’ll find the perfect place!

RONA: Tha farmad agam riut.

I’m envious.

SOPHIE: Sin gu leòr mu na rudan a bu mhiann leamsa–dè mu do dheidhinn fhèin? A bheil planaichean agad?

That’s enough about what I desire, what about you? Do you have plans?

RONA: Le mo theaghlach? Uill, rinn mi ceangal le mo phàrantan agus le mo bhràthair.

With my family? Well I’ve been in touch with my parents and brother.

SOPHIE: Tha e math gun do bhruidhinn thu riutha. Math dh’fhaodte gu bheil an t-àm ann a-nise beagan ùine a chur seachad còmhla riutha?

That’s good you’ve spoken to them. Maybe it’s now time for you to spenda little time with them.

RONA: Math dh’fhaodte. Is dòcha gum biodh e na b’ fheàrr coinneachadh ri mo bhràthair an toiseach. Ma thuigeas esan carson a dhealaich mi fhìn agus Ellen, is mathaid gum bi e nas fhasa bruidhinn mu dheidhinn ri mo phàrantan.

Maybe. It might be best to speak to my brother first. If he can understand why myself and Ellen split up, it might be easier to talk to my parents.

SOPHIE: Cha bhi e furasta ach cuimhnich gur e rud prìseil a th’ ann an teaghlach.

It won’t be easy but remember a family is a precious thing.

RONA: ’S e rud prìseil a th’ ann an càirdeas cuideachd.

Friendship is precious as well.

In the Conversation we heard Sophie talking about the things it would be possible for her to do if she moved to the Islands.

She used the structure: rach aig ____ air (manage to).

It was in the tràth chumhach (conditional tense) that she used the structure, but it will work in the other tenses as well.

Dheidheadh agam air obair ann am bùth, dheidheadh agam air frithealadh ann an taigh–òsta agus dheidheadh agam air glanadh a dhèanamh ann an taigh–aoigheachd.

I could manage to work in a shop, I could manage to serve in a hotel and I could manage to do cleaning in a guest house.

Rach aig ____ air is another abairt mhòdail (modal phrase) because it is talking about our ability to do something, and so, it causes inversion with the direct object.