1022: Carbadan Argyll (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Carbadan Argyll (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh, an t-seachdain sa chaidh, mun Argyll Voiturette, carbad-ola a chaidh a dhèanamh ann an Glaschu aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Anns a’ bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900), chaidh mu cheud carbad a dhèanamh is a reic.
Chaidh an t-einnsean am meud gu luath. Ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a h-aon (1901), bha cumhachd còig horsepower ann. Taobh a-staigh trì bliadhna, bha deich horsepower ann. Leig iad seachad an t-ainm voiturette, agus ghabh iad Argyll Light Cars air na carbadan aca.
Aig an àm sin, bha a’ chompanaidh a’ dol gu math. Thuirt iad gun robh iad a’ togail barrachd chàraichean na companaidh sam bith eile ann am Breatainn – suas ri trithead carbad gach seachdain. Chaidh àrd-oifigear na companaidh, Ailig Govan, a choimhead air factaraidhean agus dòighean-obrach air tìr-mòr na Roinn Eòrpa agus anns na Stàitean Aonaichte.
An dèidh sin, chuir Govan air adhart plana airson factaraidh mhòr ùr ann an Alexandria faisg air Bail’ Eilidh. Cha robh e airson mòr-dhèanamh, no mass production, a thoirt a-steach. Ach bha e airson pàirtean de na càraichean a dhèanamh ann am pailteas air innealan sònraichte airson cosgaisean a lughdachadh.
Chaidh ainm na companaidh atharrachadh gu Argyll Motor Works, agus chaidh factaraidh ùr spaideil a thogail ann an Alexandria. Bha mìle is sia ceud duine ag obair ann. Ma tha sibh a’ fuireach taobh Abhainn Chluaidh no sgìre ceann a deas Loch Laomainn, ʼs dòcha gun robh sibh ann. Tha an togalach a-nise na ionad-bhùthan spaideil air a bheil Lomond Galleries. Chan eil e a’ coimhead coltach ri factaraidh!
Bha Ailig Govan airson ʼs gum biodh suidheachadh obrach reusanta is cofhurtail aig a luchd-obrach. Bha eadhon goireasan spòrs ann dhaibh. Agus an toiseach, chaidh cùisean gu math. Bha an Argyll Motor Works a’ togail suas ri seasgad carbad gach seachdain. Agus, a rèir choltais, bha fear òg à Bail’ Eilidh, a bha gu bhith a’ fàs cliùmhor, ag obair dhaibh mun àm sin. B’ esan John Logie Baird – am fear a chruthaich telebhisean.
Ged a bha a’ chompanaidh a’ dol gu math, bha droch naidheachd air thoiseach orra. Anns a’ Chèitean naoi ceud deug ʼs a seachd (1907), thug Ailig Govan feadhainn eile a-mach gu lòn ann an Glaschu. Dh’fhàs e tinn, agus beagan làithean an dèidh sin, chaochail e air sgàth fuil-dhòrtadh na eanchainn.
Chaidh cùisean bhuaithe airson na companaidh an uair sin. Chaidh a cur às a chèile ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a h-ochd (1908). Ach cha robh an gnothach seachad. Chaidh companaidh ùr Argyll Earranta a chruthachadh ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a deich (1910), agus thòisich iad air carbadan a thogail a-rithist. Ach cha robh a’ chompanaidh air a ruith cho math ʼs a bu chòir, agus bha farpais mhòr ann sa mhargaidh.
Mu dheireadh, anns an Ògmhios naoi ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1914), chaidh Argyll Earranta à bith. Tha cuid de luchd-eachdraidh dhen bheachd, nan robh iad air cumail a’ dol airson dà mhìos eile, gun robh iad air cùmhnantan mòra fhaighinn. Carson? Uill, thòisich a’ Chiad Chogadh an uair sin, agus bha iarrtas mòr ann airson charbadan-ola de gach seòrsa thairis air na ceithir bliadhna an dèidh sin.
An àite carbadan a thogail, chaidh an fhactaraidh ann an Alexandria a cheannach leis a’ Chabhlach Rìoghail airson toirpìodothan a dhèanamh.
Faclan na Litreach: carbad-ola : petrol vehicle; àrd-oifigear:chief executive; mòr-dhèanamh: mass production; tinn: sick; Earranta: Limited (company).
Abairtean na Litreach: chaidh mu cheud carbad a dhèanamh is a reic: around a hundred vehicles were made and sold; chaidh an t-einnsean am meud: the engine increased in size; gun robh iad a’ togail barrachd chàraichean na companaidh sam bith eile: that they were making more cars than any other company; suas ri trithead carbad gach seachdain: up to thirty vehicles every week; bha e airson pàirtean de na càraichean a dhèanamh ann am pailteas air innealan sònraichte airson cosgaisean a lughdachadh: he wanted to mass produce parts of cars on special machines to reduce costs; ma tha sibh a’ fuireach taobh Abhainn Chluaidh no sgìre ceann a deas Loch Laomainn: if you live by the Clyde or the southern end of Loch Lomond; tha an togalach a-nise na ionad-bhùthan spaideil: the building is now a well-appointed shopping centre; bha X airson ʼs gum biodh suidheachadh obrach reusanta is cofhurtail aig a luchd-obrach: X wanted his workers to have a reasonable and comfortable working situation; bha fear òg à Bail’ Eilidh, a bha gu bhith a’ fàs cliùmhor, ag obair dhaibh mun àm sin: a young man from Helensburgh who was going to become renowned, was working for them around that time; am fear a chruthaich telebhisean: the man who invented television; chaochail e air sgàth fuil-dhòrtadh na eanchainn:he died of a cerebral haemorrhage ; chaidh a cur às a chèile: it was wound up; cha robh a’ chompanaidh air a ruith cho math ʼs a bu chòir: the company wasn’t run as well as it should have been; thòisich a’ Chiad Chogadh an uair sin, agus bha iarrtas mòr ann airson carbadan-ola de gach seòrsa: the First [World] War started then, and there was great demand for petrol vehicles of all types; chaidh an fhactaraidh a cheannach leis a’ Chabhlach Rìoghail airson toirpìodothan a dhèanamh: the factory was bought by the Royal Navy to make torpedoes.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: nan robh iad air cumail a’ dol airson dà mhìos eile, gun robh iad air cùmhnantan mòra fhaighinn: if they had kept going for two more months, they would have got big contracts. Gun robh here stands for the conditional, even though it is more normally viewed as a non-conditional structure. It could be replaced by gum biodh which is more obviously a conditional form.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh cùisean bhuaithe airson na companaidh an uair sin: matters declined for the company then.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 718
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