Litir bho Arizona

Litir	bho	Arizona
letter	from	Arizona

Letter from Arizona

le	Muriel	Fisher
with	Muriel	Fisher

By Muriel Fisher

1.

Tha	suidheachadh	a’	dol	air	adhart	aig	a’	chrìoch	eadar	Mexico
be	situation	prog	go.vn	on	forward	at	the	border	between	Mexico

agus	Arizona	an	dràsda	a	tha	fàs	nas	cunnartaich	leis	a	h-uile
and	Arizona	the	now	wh-C	be.pres	grow.vn	comp	dangerous.comp	with	the	each

latha	a	tha	a’	dol	seachad.
day	wh-C	be.pres	prog	go.vn	forward

There is a situation going on at the border between Mexico and Arizona right now that is growing more dangerous every day that is going by.

2.

Gach	oidhche	tha	ceudan	de	dhaoine	a’	sruthadh	tarsainn	air	a’	chrìoch
Each	night	be	hundreds	of	people	prog	stream.vn	across	on	the	border

eadar	an	dà	rìoghachd	a’	feuchainn	ri	faighinn	a-steach	dhan	an	tir
between	the	two	countries	prog	try.vn	with	get.vn	inside	to	the	land

mhòr	bheartach	[ann seo]	a’	lorg	obair.
big	rich	here	prog	search.vn	work

Every night there are hundreds of people streaming across the border between the two countries trying to get into this large rich land here looking for work.

3.

Bha	latha	nach	fhaiceadh	tu	a’	leithid	agus	cha	robh	sinn
be.past	day	that.neg	see.cond	2s	the	equal	and	neg	be.past.dep	1p

a’	cluinntinn	moran	mu	deidhinn	ach	gu	math	ainneamh.
prog	listen.vn	much	around	about	but	adv	good	rare

There was a day that you wouldn’t see the like and we weren’t hearing much about it but very seldom

4.

An	uair	sin	thoisich	an	riaghaltas	againn	(US)	a	cuir	suas	feansaichean
the	hour	dist	begin.past	the country	at.1p	U.S.	tran	put.vn	up	fences

mor	iarrainn	anns	na	bailtean	agus	a-mach	air	gach	taobh	dhiubh
big	iron.gen	in	the	towns.dat	and	outside	on	each	side	of.3p

tarsainn	an	staid.
across	the	state

Then our country (the U.S) began to put up big iron fences in the towns and outside on each side of them across the state.

5.

Thug

sin

air

na

"illegal aliens”

a

dhol

nas

fhaide

mach

dha

‘n

fhàsach

bring.past

that

on

the

illegal

aliens

tran

go.vn

more

long

out

to

the

desert

airson	faighinn	a-steach.
because	get.vn	inside

This made the illegal aliens go farther out into the desert in order to get in.

6.

'S

ann

mar

sin

a

bhitheas

iad

a’

dol

air

chall

agus

a’

bàsachadh

cop

in.3sm

like

that

wh-C

be.rel

3p

prog

go.vn

on

lost

and

prog

die.vn

anns	an	teas	mhòr,	gun	uisge,	agus	bithidh	sibh	a’	cluinntinn
in	the	heat	big	without	water	and	be.fut	2p	prog	hear.vn

mun	dheidhinn	anns	na	pàipearan	naidheachd.
Around.3p	about	in	the	papers	news

That is how they are getting lost and dying in the great heat, without water, and you hear about them in the newspapers.

7.

Ach	a’	suidheachadh	a	tha	mi	a’	bruidhinn	mu	dheidhinn	an-diugh,
but	the	situation	wh-C	be 1s prog	speak.vn	around	about	today

's

e

nuair

a

bhitheas

cuid

dhiubh

a’

dol

tarsainn

air

na

rainseachan

mhòr

cop

3sm

when

wh-C

be.rel

part

to.2p

prog

go.vn

across

on

the

ranches

big

a	tha	againn	an-seo	[ann	an]	Arizona.
wh-C	be	at.1p	here	in	Arizona

But the situation that I am speaking about today is when some of them are going across the big ranches that we have in Arizona.

Note: Relative future; but with present tense meaning

8.

Tha

na

taighean

glè

fhada

bho

cheile,

agus

glè

fhada

bho

na

bailtean

be

the

houses

very

long

from

other

and

very

long

from

the

towns

agus	mar	sin	glè	fhada	bho	‘n	'Border Patrol'	– poileas	a’	chrìoch.
and	therefore	very	long	from	the	Border	Patrol	police	the	border.gen

The houses are very far from each other, and very far from the towns and thus very far from the ‘Border Patrol’ – the border police.

9.

Air	oidhche	sam-bith	faodaidh	dhà	no	tri	cheud	tighinn
on	night	any	may.fut	two	or	three	hundred	come.vn

seachad	thairis	air	aon	'rains'.
passed	over	on	one	ranch

On any night two or three hundred may come over on one ranch.

10.

Fàgaidh	na	daoine	sin	às	an-dèidh	bochdainn,	tiormachd
leave.fut	the	people	dist	from	after	poverty	drought

agus	a	chuid	as	motha	dha	'n	teaghlaichean	aca.
and	the	part	most	big	from	the	families	at.3p

Those people leave from poverty, drought, and, most of their families.

11.

Tha	e	fior	nach	eil	mòran	aca	ri	chall,	tha	iad	acrach
bem3sm	true	neg	be.dep	many	at.3p	with	loss	be 3p	hungry

agus	tha	iad	eu-dòchasach.
and	be	3p	unhopeful

It is true that they don’t have much due to loose, they are hungry and they are hopeless (lost hope).

12.

Tha	barrachd	is	barrachd	ann	dhuibh	a	h-uile	mìos.
Be.pres	more	and	more	in.3sm	to.3p	the	every	month

There are more and more of them every month.

13.

Tha	eaconomaidh	Mexico	a'	fàs	nas	isil	agus
be.pres	economy	Mexico.gen prog	grow.vn	more	low	and

chan	eil	uisge	gu	leor	aca	am	bliadhna.
neg	be.dep	water	to	plenty	at.3p	the	year

The economy of Mexico is growing lower/worse and they don’t have enough water this year.

14.

Bithidh	iad	a’	fàgail	air	an	cùlaibh	air	an	fhearainn	salachar,
be.fut 3p prog	leave.vn	on 3p.poss	behind	on	the	land	trash

botail,	pocan	plastic,	'nappies'	agus	mar	sin	air	adhart.
bottles	bags	plastic	diapers	and	like	that	on	forward

They leave behind them on the ground rubbish, bottles, plastic bags, diapers and so forth.

15.

Chan

eil

urram

aca

airson

gu

bheil

iad

coiseachd

air

lot

cuideigin

eile.

neg

be.dep

respect

at.3p

for

that

be.dep 3p

country

walking.vn

on

land

somebody

else

They don’t have respect because they are walking someone else’s land.

16.

Cò	ghlanas	suas	as	an	dèidh	a	h-uile	latha?
who	clean.rel	up	from	3pl.poss	after	the	every	day

Who cleans up after them every day?

17.

Chan	urrain	dha	na	rainsearan	an	sprùilleach	fhàgail	airson
cop.neg	ability	to	the	ranchers	the	refuse	leave.vn	for

gun

do

chaill

feadhainn

dhuibh

crodh

mar

tha

nuair

a

dh'ith

iad

plastic.

that

past

lose

group

to.3pl

cattle

already

when

wh-C

ate 3p

plastic

The ranchers can’t leave the refuse because some of them lost cattle already, when they ate plastic.

18.

Chuir

aon

rainsear

tap

air

bonn

tanca

mòr

uisge

a

bha

aige

airson

put.past

one

rancher

spiggot

on

bottom

tank.gen

big

water.gen

wh-C

be.past

at.3sm

for

an	sprèidh,	gus	am	faodadh	na	daoine	deoch	fhaighinn,	ach	dh'fhag
the	livestock.gen	so.that	fut go.cond	the	people	drink	obtain.vn	but	leave.past

iad	e	fosgailte	agus	chaill	e	a	h-uile	boinne.
3p 3sm	open	and	lose.past 3sm	the	all	drop

One rancher put a spiggot on the bottom of a big water tank that he had for the livestock, so that the people would be able to get a drink, but they left it open and he lost drop.

19.

Anns	an	fhàsach	tha	an	t-uisge	mar	oir
in	the	desert	be.presthe	water	like	gold

In the desert water is like gold.

20.

Bho	chionn	mìos	bha	Roger	Barnett	a-muigh	leis	fhein	a’	càradh feansa
from	occasion	month	be.past	Roger	Barnett	outside	with.3sm	self	prog	mend.vn	fence

nuair	a	chunnaic	e	mu	deich	air	fhichead	daoine	a’	tighinn	seachad
when	wh-C	see.past 3sm	around	ten	on	twenty	people	prog come.vn	through

an	fhàsach	thuige.
the	desert	towards.3sm

A month ago Roger Barnett was outside alone mending a fence when he saw about thirty people coming through the desert towards him.

21.

Dh'fhòn	e	gu	a	bhràthair	air	a	'mhobile'	aige	agus	thug
call.past 3sm	to 3sm.poss	brother	on 3sm.poss	cellphone prog.3sm	and	take.past

an	dithis	aca	‘n	am	prìosanaich	an	sluagh.
the	two.people	at.3p	in	3p.poss	prisoners	the	group

He called his brother on his cellphone and the two of them took the group prisoner.

22.

Cha	do	tharuinng	iad	na	gunnaichean	orra,	ach	bha	gunnaichean	aca.
neg	past	draw 3p	the	guns	on.3p	but	be.past	guns	at.3p

They didn’t draw the guns on them, but they had guns.

23.

Dh'fhuirich	iad	an-sin	gus	an	tàinig	am	'Border Patrol'
stay.past 3p	there	until	wh-C	come.past	the	Border Patrol

agus	thug	iadsan	air	falbh	na	truaghainn	air	ais	gu	Mexico,
and	take.past 3p.emph perf	leave.vn	the	unfortunates	on	back	to	Mexico

mar	a	tha	iad	cleachdte	a	bhith	dèanamh.
like	wh-C	be.pres3p	accustomed	tran	be.vn	do.vn

They stayed there until the Border Patrol came, and they took away the unfortunates back to Mexico, like they are accustomed to doing.

24.

Mar	às	trice	nuair	a	dh'fhonas	na	rainsearan	airson	cuideachadh,
like	most	often	when	wh-C	call.rel	the	ranchers	for	help.gen

's

docha

gum

bi

e

ceithir

uairean

a’

thìde,

no

latha

no

dhà

cop

probable

that

be.dep 3sm

four

hours

the

time.gen

or

day

or

two

mus	tig	am	poileas.
until	come.fut	the	police

Most often when the ranchers call for help, maybe it will be four hours’ time, or a day or two until the police come.

25.

Chan	eil	ann	ach	tìde	ghoirid	gus	an	tarruinng	cuideigin	gunna
neg	be.dep	in.3sm	but	time	short	until	wh-C	draw.fut	someone	gun

agus	losgaidh	iad	e.
and	fire.fut 3p 3sm

It won’t be but a short time until someone draws a gun and they shoot it.

Note: future as present

26.

Chur	na	rainsearan	tagradh	gu	Riaghladair	na	staid,	Jane	Hull	ag	iarraidh
put.past	the	ranchers	plea	to	Governor	the	state.gen	Jane	Hull	prog	ask.vn

an	t-airm	a	thoirt	a-mach	gus	rian	a	chumail,	ach	dhiùlt	i
the	army	tran	bring.vn	out	for	order	tran	detain.vn	but	refuse.past 3sf

sin	a	dheanamh.
that	tran	do.vn

The ranchers sent a petition to the governor of the state, Jane Hull, asking her to bring out the army in order to keep order, but she refused to do it.

27.

Cha

stad

na

'illegal

aliens'

(sin

an

t-ainm

a

tha

orra ...

's

e

'legal

alien'

neg

stop.fut

the

illegal

aliens

that

the

name

wh-C

be.preson.3p cop 3sm

legal

alien

a	tha	annam	fhein ...	bha	mi	smaoineachadh	riamh	gu	feumadh	tu	tighinn
wh-C	be.presin.1s	self	be.past 1s	think.vn	ever	to	need.vn 2s	come.vn

bhon

a’

ghealach

airson

a

bhith

‘na

d'

alien ...

ach !!!),

cha

stad

iad

from

the

moon

for

tran

be.vn

in

2s.poss

alien

ach

neg

stop.fut 3p

a'

tighinn

a-staigh

do

’n

Staitean

Aonaichte

airson

gu

bheil

obair

air

an

prog

come.vn

into

to

the

States

United

for

wh-C

be.dep 3p

work

on

3p.poss

son	an-seo.
cause	here

The ‘illegal aliens’ will not stop (that is their name…it’s a ‘legal alien’ that I am myself…I was always thinking that you needed to come from the moon to be an ‘alien’…ach!!!,) they will not stop coming into the United States because there is work for them here.

28.

Chan	oibrich	na	h-Ameiricanaich	airson	am	pàigheadh	iosal,
neg	work.fut	the	Americans	for	the	wages	low

mar	sin	cò	bhuanadh	am	buntata	agus	an	leatas	etc.?
like	that	who	pick.cond	the	potatoes	and	the	lettuce	etc

The Americans won’t work for low pay, and so who would harvest the potatoes and the lettuce?

29.

Cò	nigheadh	na	soitheachan	anns	na	tighean	biodh?
who	wash.cond	the	dishes	in	the	houses	food.gen

Who would wash the dishes in the restaurants?

30.

Cò	dheanadh	am	fuaigheil?
who	do.cond	the	sewing

Who would do the sewing?

31.

Dè	ur	beachd?
what	2p.poss	opinion

What [is] your opinion?

32.

Am	bheil	sibh	a’	fearachdainn	duilich	airson	na	truaighean	a	tha	teicheadh
inter	be.dep 2p prog	feel.vn	sorry	for	the	pitifuls.gen	wh-C	be.presflee.vn

bho	bochdainn,	bho	thiormachd,	bho	riaghaltas	cunnartach	(Guatemala, El
from	poverty	from	drought	from	countries	dangerous	Guatemala,	El

Salvador)	a’	coimhead	airson	obair	agus	beatha	ùr?
Salvador	prog	looking	for	work	and	life	new

Are you feeling sorry for the poor ones who are fleeing from poverty, from drought, from dangerous countries (Guatemala, El Salvador) looking for work and a new life?

33.

No	am	bheil	sinn	a’	fearachdainn	duilich	airson	na	rainsearan	a	tha
or	inter	be.dep 1p prog	feel.vn	sorry	for	the	ranchers	wh-C	be.pres

teasairgainn	nan	teaghlaichean	agus	na	taighean	aca	fhein,	air
defend.vn	the	families	and	the	houses	at.3p	self	on

an	fhearainn	aca	fhein,	an-aghaidh	coigrich	acrach	a	tha	sruthadh
the	land	at.3p	self	against	strangers	hungry	wh-C	be	stream.vn

seachad	orra	latha	agus	oidhche?
past	on.3p	day	and	night

Or are we feeling sorry for the ranchers who are defending their own families and houses, on their own lands, against hungry strangers who are streaming past them day and night?