Bilingual English/Gaelic books are rare but Ablekids Press recognises the reassurance that having a translation on hand can give to learners of another language. So, for beginners and parents of children in Gaelic-medium education, we have provided the following translation of Fruit Lane which consists of the main text but excludes the questions and the answer page. As with any translation, sometimes the target language does not have a direct equivalent in which case, a close suitable match is used. This happens, for example, with the name of Neil's dog, Ruff which becomes Robach, meaning messy or dirty and The Eatwell Hotel becomes Taigh-òsta Fallain - Wholesome Hotel. Gruagach is an old word which as a noun can mean damsel or as an adjective, having a beautiful head of hair, so Rapunzel's Salon is Ionad Gruagach
The titles Miss, Mrs and Mr are also worth looking at. In Gaelic:
Miss translates as Mhaighdean meaning maiden or single lady and is shortened to a' Mh.
Mrs is a' Bh.-ph. which is an abbreviation for Bhean-phòsta meaning married woman.
Mr is Maighstir and shortens to Mgr.
Ablekids Press would like to say a big thank you to Maggie Smith for the following tips on pronunciation of Gaelic words in Ceum Nam Measan:
Thachair - ha-ch-er
fhlùraichean - lew-re-ch-un
dhuaisean - goo-ush-un
fhaighinn - aye-in
tomhais - toe-ish
Dubh-dhearc - do-yearg
Beòthag - B-eo-hag
daonnan - duh-nan
Puill - poy-ill
Smaoineachadh - smun-ach-ugh
Gorm-dhearc - gorn-yearg
Leatha - lay-a
Uaireannan - who-her-un-un
Irisean - ir-is-un
bùth-seudraidh - boo-shade-ri
Bhanacharaid - van-u-char-id
Poll - po-ul
Sheachnadh - se-ch-nu-ugg
seilleanan - shea-lan-un
streapadair - stre-pad-ar
dhireadh - yir-ugg
In Gaelic, a grave accent elongates the sound of the vowel.
an aidh ending is an (i) sound
'ch' is a sound which is not in English: with a broad vowel (a,o,u), it is like the Scots 'loch' ; with a slender vowel (e,i), it is similar to the begining of Scots word 'huge'.
Ceum Nam Measan
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Fruit Lane |
Thachair thu ri Mgr. Sùbh-làir mar tha. Tha e fuireach aig 1 Ceum nam Measan còmhla ri mhic-càraid, Seonaidh agus Seòras. 'S e gàrnalair a th' ann am Mgr. Sùbh-làir. Tha an cloc fhlùraichean aige air mòran dhuaisean fhaighinn. Bidh a' Bh.-ph. Dubh-dhearc a' toirt nan litrichean gun h-uile taigh am Baile nam Beòthag. Feumaidh i èirigh tràth sa mhadainn gu dhol gu h-obair. Mar sin bidh Granaidh Dubh-dhearc a' cumail sùil air an leanabh, Liusaidh. Tha Mgr. Orains glè mhoiteil às an taigh ùr aige. Tha a mhac, Niall agus Robach, an cù daonnan an trioblaid airson a bhith dèanamh bùrach. Fàgaidh iad làraich puill is lòin uisge sa h-uile àite! Tha a' Mh. Gorm-dhearc a' fuireach aig 4 Ceum nam Measan agus còmhla rithe tha a cat gràdhach, Rìghinn. 'S e gruagaire th' anns a' Mh. Gorm-dhearc ann an Ionad Gruagach sa chèarnaig am Baile nam Beòthag. Bidh Mgr. Ubhal a' siubhal air feadh an t-saoghail a' togail tòrr dhealbhan de dhaoine is àitichean is rudan. Uaireannan bidh na dealbhan aige ann am pàipearan-naidheachd agus irisean. Is fìor thoigh le Mgr. Ubhal faighinn dhachaigh gu Taigh an Eilein. 'S e a' chiad rud a nì e an t-iasg san lòn a chunntas. Is toigh leis a' Mh. Deit a bhith dèarrsadh. Tha bùth-seudraidh aice, 'An Seud Beag' an tùr a' chloc am Baile nam Beòthag. Tha i fuireach an ath dhoras dhan bhanacharaid as fhèarr a tha aice, a' Mh. Gorm-dhearc. Cha toigh leis a' Mh. Deit poll no salchar. Chaneil e furasta sin a sheachnadh ann an Ceum nam Measan. Tha Mgr. Banana a' teagasg am Bunsgoil Baile nam Beòthag. Nuair a theid e null thairis a thadhal air càirdean, bidh e daonnan a' cur cairt-puist chun na sgoile gus gun croch e i sa chlasrùm. Tha a' Bh.-ph. Seadag na còcaire san Taigh-òsta Fallain. Mar sin chaneil iongnadh ann gu bheil i fuireach an Taigh Coille nan Caochag an Ceum nam Measan. Tha cearcan is geòidh aig a' Bh.-ph. Seadag. Chaneil sìon as fhèarr leatha na ugh air ùr-bhreth airson a breacaist. Tha an Dr. Peur a' cosg a' mhòr-chuid dhe h-ùine a' toirt an aire do chloinn a tha tinn san Ospadal. Nuair a theid i dhachaigh gu Ceum nam Measan, is toigh leis an Dr. Peur a bhith toirt an aire dha na seilleanan aice. Is ann leis a' Bh.-ph. Fìon-dhearc a tha Taigh na Sealladh. Tha i fuireach ann còmhla ri a nìghnean, Mòrag agus Morbhainn. 'S e streapadair a tha sa Bh.-ph. Fìon-dhearc. Tha i air a' bheinn as àirde san t-saoghal a dhìreadh.
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You’ve already met Mr Strawberry. He lives at No. 1 Fruit Lane with his twin sons, John and George. Mr Strawberry is a gardener. His flower clock has won lots of prizes.
Mrs Blackberry delivers letters to all the houses in Vitamin Village. She has to get up early in the morning to go to work, so Grandma Blackberry looks after baby Lucy.
Mr Orange is very proud of his new house. His son, Neil and Ruff the dog are always in trouble for making a mess. They leave muddy footprints and puddles of water everywhere! Miss Blueberry shares her little house at No. 4 Fruit Lane with her beloved cat, Princess. Miss Blueberry is a hairdresser in Rapunzel’s Salon in Vitamin Village square.
Mr Apple travels around the world taking lots of photographs of people and places and things. Sometimes his photographs are in newspapers and magazines. Mr Apple really likes to get home to Island House. The first thing he does is count the fish in his pond.
Miss Date loves to sparkle. She owns ‘The Little Gem’ jewellery shop in Vitamin Village’s clock tower. She lives next door to her best friend, Miss Blueberry. Miss Date doesn’t like mud or dirt which can be a bit of a problem living in Fruit Lane.
Mr Banana is a teacher at Vitamin Village Primary School. When he travels abroad to visit his relatives, he always sends a postcard to the school so he can pin it up in his classroom.
Mrs Grapefruit is a chef at the Eatwell Hotel so it’s not surprising that she lives in Mushroom Wood House in Fruit Lane. Mrs Grapefruit keeps hens and geese. She likes nothing better than a fresh egg for her breakfast. Dr Pear spends most of her time taking care of sick children at The Hospital. When she gets home to Fruit Lane, Dr Pear enjoys looking after her bees.
Mrs Grape owns Rockview. She lives there with her daughters, Morag and Morven. Mrs Grape is a mountaineer. She has climbed the highest mountain in the world. |