Hot off the presses at Birlinn. More views from North Lochs. Aimsir Eachainn. Volume two. Eachann's column has evolved here into a slightly different format which does not follow the diary-like format. This makes for some longer sections of Gaelic. I will have to continue to try for a more-or-less word for word translation - mainly, I have to admit, because I am myself am pretty ignorant of the full idiomatic meaning of Hector's Gaelic.
The other day I was listening to Radio nan Gael's 'Leugh an Leabhar' programme where the writer John Murray was speaking with Mark Wringe about Hector's writing. Here is a bit of what he said:
'Saoilidh mise gu bheil e air a' dheanamh ann an doigh a tha air leth sgilear, a tha tarraingeach do luchd na Beurla agus luchd na Gaidhlig, agus dhaibh-san gu h-araid aig a bheil a' Gaidhlig agus aig a bheil tuigse air a' Gaidhlig laitheil ann an coimhearsneachd Gaidhealach far a bheil ciallach eadar-dhealaichte, fius bhon a' Gaidhlig offiocal ma gum biodh, aig comhradh a tha a' ruith a measg an t-sluaigh. Agus bha comhradh laitheil na Gaidhlige aig Eachainn cho domhainn 's a ghabhas sin a bhith.'
Turning this into English:
I think that it [his writing] was done in a way that was very skilful - that was attractive to English speakers and Gaelic speakers and especially to those who, not only speak Gaelic, but who also understand the colloquial Gaelic in the Highlands and Island communities where there is a different meaning - even from the 'official' Gaelic as it were - in the conversation that runs back-and-forth among folk. And I think that Hector's colloquial Gaelic was as deep as that could be.
