HALIFAX – A Nova Scotia publishing firm has launched a Gaelic translation of “Anne of Green Gables,” the beloved novel written by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
It’s the primary time the century-old story has been translated into the Scottish language, regardless of Gaelic being the language with the “closest cultural and historical connections to L.M. Montgomery and Prince Edward Island after English,” in accordance to Halifax-based publishing firm Bradan Press, which is behind the newest version of the ebook.
The Gaelic translation titled “Anna Ruadh” or red-haired Anne, was added to the heritage assortment final month on the Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, P.E.I., the setting of the novel.
Emily McEwan, founder of Bradan Press and editor of “Anna Ruadh,” stated in a latest interview the interpretation into Gaelic faucets into a big half of the Island’s Scottish historical past, including that Montgomery has Gaelic-speaking ancestors on each side of her household.
“When you read the Gaelic translation, that humour feels so natural … just as funny as it is in English,” McEwan stated
“The humour of P.E.I., Montgomery’s own humour that she grew up with and was imbued with — that’s Gaelic humour, that’s Scottish humour,” she added. “Of course it fit so well back into Gaelic because the culture that it came from was partly Gaelic in the first place.”
“Anne of Green Gables” tells the story of an orphan lady named Anne Shirley who comes to dwell on the Island after being adopted by a pair of siblings. It has emerged as a Canadian basic since its publication in 1908 and has since been translated into greater than 30 languages.
McEwan stated she expects readers of the Gaelic version will likely be these fascinated about engaged on their expertise within the language and who’re long-time followers and collectors of the ebook.
It was typically troublesome to discover correct Gaelic phrases to translate Montgomery’s vivid descriptions of bushes and flowers, Morag Ann MacNeil, the ebook’s Gaelic translator, stated in a latest interview.
“I did a lot of digging and delving,” MacNeil stated, which included reaching out to consultants on Montgomery’s work and common references to the Gaelic dictionary. Despite challenges, MacNeil stated the ebook is a trustworthy translation.
“The Bible is translated into Gaelic … if you can do something like that, you can translate anything, can’t you?” she stated from her house in Scotland.
MacNeil echoed McEwan’s sentiment, saying the ebook “translates well” into the Gaelic language and stays an satisfying learn regardless of its age.
“It’s almost as if they were written in Gaelic to begin with,” MacNeil stated. “Although it’s an old, old book, it doesn’t seem as if it is, and I think it’s because when something’s good, it’s good regardless of the passage of time.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 3, 2024.
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This story was produced with the monetary help of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
