Duinnín agus an Cat

Féirín . . . a reward, a present, a keepsake . . . in a bad sense, a lasting complaint, an affliction ; f. Nodlag, a Christmas box.

Deireadh an scéil
End of the story

Oíche Lae Nollag atá ann. Tá an tAthair Pádraig Ó Duinnín ar an traein dheireanach ó Shráid Amiens ar a shlí abhaile go dtí an bungaló beag cois farraige i bPort Mearnóg mar a bhfuil cónaí air. Tá a hata ard dubh síoda leagtha béal in airde ar a ghlúine mar a mbíonn lámhscríbhinn éigin de ghnáth. Tá sé ag cáitheadh sneachta. Ó am go chéile ardaíonn an Duinníneach an nuachtán atá leagtha ar an hata aige agus féachann sé arís ar an bpiscín cait atá ina chodladh istigh. Agus é ag druidim le stáisiún Phort Mearnóg, crochann sé an ruidín beag dubh san aer le súil go mbeadh cat ó dhuine éigin. Ní fhéachann ceachtar den bheirt eile sa charráiste air féin ná ar an bpiscín. Ligeann sé osna agus cuireann sé síos ina phóca é. Póca doimhin é a shíneann go bun a chóta – maintín, a bhfuil sé cairdiúil léi, a réitigh an póca seo, in aisce, dó – le gur féidir leis rudaí ilghnéitheacha a iompar thart go discréideach. Sháigh an piscín ingne ina láimh agus é á stiúrú isteach go cneasta. ‘Féirín!’ arsa an Duinníneach go grod.

It is Christmas Eve. Pádraig Ó Duinnín on the last train from Amiens Street on his way home to the small seaside bungalow in Portmarnock where he lives. His tall black silk hat is set mouth-high on his knees where some manuscript is usually. It is snowing [lit. “throwing snow”]. Occasionally Dineen raises the newspaper set on his hat and he looks again at the kitten who is sleeping inside. Approaching Portmarnock station, he lifts the little black thing in the air with the hope it be someone’s cat. Neither of the other two in the carriage looks at him or the kitten. He lets out a sigh and puts it down in his pocket. It is a deep pocket that stretches to the bottom of his coat, – a seamstress, with whom he is a friend, made this pocket, for nothing, for him – so that he can carry various things around discreetly. The kitten pushed a claw into his hand while while he was politely steering it in. ‘Gift!’ Said Dineen abruptly.

either, neither [with neg.]

síoda	silk	mgs síoda
leagtha	laid
béal	mouth	m
de ghnáth	as a rule
lámhscríbhinn	manuscript	f
féach	look	v
piscín	kitten	m
druid	close, shut; Move close to, draw near, approach [with le
croch	hang; raise up; lift, carry	v
ceachtar
osna a ligean	sigh	v
doimhin = domhain	deep
sín	stretch	v
maintín	seamstress
aisce	Request, favour; gift, present.	f
in aisce	for nothing, gratis
ilghnéitheacha	Diverse, various, heterogeneous
discréideach	discreet
Sáigh	Thrust; stab; push, press; dart, lunge
ionga	claw; finger	f pl ingne
stiúrú	steering, directing, guiding
cneasta	Honest, sincere; Decent, seemly; Mild-mannered
grod	Short, sudden; prompt, abrupt

Tus an scéil
Beginning of the story

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Eachtraí Eilíse i dTír na nIontas

Caibidil XII: Fianaise Eilíse
Alice’s Testimony

• “Anseo!” a ghlaoigh Eilís, agus í ag dearmad toisc a chorraithe is a bhí sí, cé chomh mór a d’fhás sí sna nóiméid deireanacha. Léim sí ina seasamh chomh tobann sin gur leag sí bosca an ghiúire le binn a gúna, rud a chaith na giúróirí anuas ar an slua thíos. D’fhan siad ina luí ansin ar a bhfad is ar a leithead, rud a chuir i gcuimhne di go baileach an babhla d’éisc órga a leag sí go tuaipliseach an tseachtain roimhe sin.

  “Here!” called Alice, and she had forgotten because she was excited how big she had grown in the last few minutes. She jumped to her feet so fast that she knocked over the jury box with the hem of her dress, which threw the jurors down onto the crowd below. They remained lying there far and wide, which reminded her of exactly the goldfish bowl that she had accidentally knocked over the week before.

  corraigh	move, stir, agitate
  leag	knock down; lay, set
  binn	peak, edge
  baileach	exact
  babhla	bowl	m
  iasc	fish	m gs npl éisc
  órga	golden
  tuaiplis	blunder	f

  
  
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