An Gille, Am Famh, An Sionnach 's an t-Each
Chuir sinn beagan cheistean gu John Nic a’ Ghobhainn a rinn an t-eadar-theangachadh air ‘An Gille, Am Famh, An Sionnach ‘s an t-Each’!
An innis thu dhuinn beagan mu do dheidhinn fhèin airson toiseach tòiseachaidh?
Rugadh mi ann am Barabhas air taobh siar Eilean Leòdhais agus chaidh mi a dh’Oilthigh Obar Dheathain far an do cheumnaich mi ann an Ceiltis agus Sòiseo-eòlas. Thòisich mo bheatha-obrach nam oileanach aig Roinn Foghlaim Chomhairle nan Eilean Siar. Bhon uair sin tha mi air a bhith ag obair aig Acair, Comunn na Gàidhlig agus Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig mus deach mi air mo cheann fhìn ann an 2006. Tha mi an-dràsta cuideachd nam bhall de bhòrd-stiùridh Bhòrd na Gàidhlig agus an dèidh beagan riagail air feadh na dùthcha tha mi fhìn ’s an dùin’ agam agus ar triùir chloinne a’ fuireachd an Uibhist a Tuath. Ann an diofar dhòighean tha mi air a bhith an lùib obair foillseachaidh Gàidhlig airson còrr is trithead bliadhna.
An robh duilgheadas sam bith agad le eadar-theangachadh / a bhith a’ cumail ris an teacsa Beurla cho faisg ‘s bha e comasach?
Bidh a’ Ghàidhlig, mar as trice, nas fhaide na a’ Bheurla agus tha sin caran deuchainneach nuair a tha thu air do chuingealachadh, chan e a-mhàin le àireamh fhaclan air an duilleig ach cuideachd cumadh agus dreach an teacsa agus mar a tha e air fhighe mun cuairt dhealbhan. Bha e feumail anns an leabhar seo gun tug an t-ùghdar dol-a-steach dhomh dhan fheallsanachd a bha air cùl cuid dhe na briathran agus na h-abairtean a chleachd e. Às aonais sin, bhiodh tu dualtach ciall eile a thoirt às agus tha e aithnichte gun robh an t-ùghdar fhèin mothachail air a sin.
Uaireannan bha cothromachadh a dhìth eadar giorrad fhaclan agus Gàidhlig nàdarrach far nach robh thu airson ’s gun aithnicheadh duine gun robh e sgrìobhte sa Bheurla sa chiad dol-a-mach.
Seach gur e leabhar thar-ghinealach a tha seo, dh’fheumainn a bhith mothachail do dh’ìre tuigse is briathrachais clann òga ach cuideachd gum biodh e siùbhlach gu lèor ann an dòigh a bheireadh toileachas dha ginealach nas sine. ’S e liut shònraichte a th’ aig Charlie MacKesy gun urrainn e a leithid a chruthachadh ann an dòigh a bheir tlachd do shean is òg.
An do ghabh e ùine mhòr?
Thug an obair còrr is dà latha (uile gu leìr) bho thoisich mi ga eadar-theangachadh gus an robh e deiseil airson a dhol gu na clò-bhualadairean. Uaireannan ’s e a bhith ‘a’ cluich’ leis na faclan aon uair is gu nochd iad air an duilleig fhèin as fhaide a bheir, me, bidh cuid a dhuilleagan ro fhada no bidh brisidhean a’ nochdadh ann am faclan far nach eil e a’ tighinn a rèir do shealladh sùla no modhan àbhaisteach foillseachaidh.
Tha e cuideachd ciallach cuideigin eile sùil a thoirt air an teacsa às do dhèidh agus is minig a thig deasbad inntinneach an lùib sin! Uaireannan bidh barrachd air aon dòigh air rud a ràdh is iad uile ceart is iomchaidh nan dòigh fhèin.
A bheil comhairle sam bith agad a thaobh eadar-theangachaidh?
Nuair a nì thu a’ chiad dreach, leugh e às aonais na Beurla gus dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil thu fhèin ga thuigsinn agus gu bheil e a’ tighinn a rèir do chluais!
Dèan cinnteach gur e an aon ainm a chleachdas tu airson caractar bho thoiseach gu deireadh. Cha chreideadh tu cho tric ’s a bhios, me, Iain ga chleachdadh le ùghdar aig toiseach leabhar agus Seonaidh aig an deireadh!
Seachain cus de dh’fhaclan nach eil garbh nàdarrach oir caillidh tu do luchd-leughaidh ma dh’fheumas iad a bhith a lorg gach dàrnacha facal air-loidhne no ann am faclaire… ach ’s fhiach fear no dhà a chur ann gus leudachadh a thoirt air briathrachas gach duin’ againn agus airson fìor bheairteas ar dualchainntean a thaisbeanadh.
Cò dha a bhiodh an leabhar seo tarraingeach?
Mar a tha an leabhar fhèin ag ràdh – duine sam bith eadar ochd agus ochdad agus tha sin cho fìor ’s a ghabhas oir tha sinn uile feumail air comhairle air mar a bu chòir dhuinn a bhith gar giùlan fhìn agus a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ri ar co-chreutair.
Bheir an leabhar seo togail-inntinn do dhaoine a tha cus an urra ri beachdan dhaoin’ eile mun deidhinn airson fèin-mhisneachd. Tha an leabhar seo ag aithneachadh, ann an dòigh a a bheir na deòir gu do shùil, gu bheil sinn uile luachmhor is nach eil còir a bhith a’ coimhead ri ar co-chreutair ann an suarachas.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself to start?
I was born in Barvas on the West coast of Lewis and went to Aberdeen University where I graduated in Celtic and Sociology. My working life began as a student in the Education Department of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Since then I have worked for Acair, Comunn na Gàidhlig and Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig before becoming self-employed in 2006. I am also currently a member of the Bòrd na Gàidhlig board and after some travel across the country myself and my husband and our three children live in North Uist. In various ways I have been involved in Gaelic publishing for over 30 years.
Did you have any problems translating / sticking to the English text as closely as possible
Gaelic is usually longer than English and this is testing when you are limited, not only by the number of words on the page but also the shape and layout of the text and how it is woven around the picture. It was helpful in this book that the author introduced me to the philosophy behind some of the words and phrases he used. Without that, you would tend to take away another meaning and the author himself was aware of that.
Sometimes a balance was needed between short words and natural Gaelic where you didn’t want anyone to recognise that it was written in English in the first place.
As this is a cross-generational book, I had to be aware of the level on understanding and vocabulary of young children but also that is be sufficiently fluid in a way that would please an older generation. Charlie MacKesy’s special talent is that he can create such a thing for young and old alike.
Did it take a long time?
The work took over 2 days (all in all) from the time I started translating it until it was ready to go to the printers. Sometimes ‘playing’ with the words once they appear on the page itself takes longer e.g. some pages are too long or breaks appear in the words where it does not conform to your view or way of reading.
It also makes sense to have someone else look at the text after you and that often leads to an interesting discussion! Sometimes there is more than one way of saying something and they are all right and proper in their own way.
Do you have any translation advice?
When you make the first draft, read it without English to make sure you understand it and it sounds okay!
Make sure you use the same name for the character from start to finish. You wouldn’t believe how often, for example, Iain is used by an author at the beginning of a book and Seonaidh at the end!
Avoid too many unnatural words as you will lose your readers if they have to find every second word online or in a dictionary… but it is worth adding one or two to expand adding to the vocabulary of each of us and to showcase the true richness of our dialects.
Who would this book appeal to?
As the book itself says – anyone between eight and eighty and that’s as true as it can be because we all need advice on how we should behave and deal with others.
This book will inspire people who are over-reliant on other people’s opinions about them for self-confidence. This book recognises, in a way that brings tears to your eyes, they we are all valuable and that we should not look down on others.