Fluent Fiction - Irish: From Doubt to Action: An Unexpected Journey to the Ballot Box
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Story Transcript:

Ga: I lár an fhómhair i mBaile Átha Cliath, bhí Caoimhe agus Eoin ag ullmhú le haghaidh lá speisialta.
En: In the middle of autumn in Baile Átha Cliath, Caoimhe and Eoin were preparing for a special day.

Ga: Bhí sé leathuair an chloig i bhfad sula n-oscail an áit vótála.
En: It was half an hour before the polling station opened.

Ga: Sheas siad i líne d'fhonn a ndícheall déanta, ionas go mbeadh a nguth cloiste sa toghchán atá le teacht.
En: They stood in line determined to make their voices heard in the upcoming election.

Ga: Bhí Caoimhe ar bís.
En: Caoimhe was excited.

Ga: Bhí sí lán den fhuinneamh agus den díograis.
En: She was full of energy and enthusiasm.

Ga: Ba bhreá léi go bhfeicfeadh a vóta cúram faoi cheisteanna comhshaoil sa cheantar.
En: She would love for her vote to show care about environmental issues in the area.

Ga: Níorbh é an chéad uair a vótáil sí, ach bhí sí i gcónaí mothúchánach faoi chuidiú le hathrú a chruthú.
En: It wasn't her first time voting, but she always felt emotional about helping to bring about change.

Ga: Eoin, áfach, ní raibh an rud céanna ar a intinn.
En: Eoin, however, didn't have the same mindset.

Ga: Bhí sé beagáinín ciniciúil faoi vótáil.
En: He was a bit cynical about voting.

Ga: Thagair sé go minic ar a thuairim nach n-athraíonn aontán amháin mórán.
En: He often mentioned his opinion that a single vote doesn't change much.

Ga: Ach bhí Caoimhe ina chara dílis dó, agus níor theastaigh uaidh í a fhágáil ina haonar.
En: But Caoimhe was a loyal friend to him, and he didn't want to leave her alone.

Ga: "Tuigeann tú, Eoin," arsa Caoimhe leis agus iad ag siúl i dtreo an scoil.
En: "You understand, Eoin," said Caoimhe to him as they walked toward the school.

Ga: "Uaireanta, níl ann ach duine amháin le smaoineamh nua chun rudaí a athrú.
En: "Sometimes, it only takes one person with a new idea to change things."

Ga: ""Maith go leor," arsa Eoin.
En: "Alright," said Eoin.

Ga: "Ach inis dom cén fáth atá an toghchán seo chomh tábhachtach?
En: "But tell me, why is this election so important?"

Ga: "Bhí an scoil innealtóireacht os a gcomhair, maisithe le duilleoga an fhómhair agus aoibhneas Shamhain ag taitneamh.
En: The engineering school stood before them, adorned with autumn leaves and the joy of Samhain shining.

Ga: Fuair siad a mbealach isteach, ar an ithir glúineach os comhair, nuair a thosaigh Caoimhe ag insint scéalta faoi thoghcháin a raibh tionchar acu roimh ré.
En: They found their way in, on the muddy ground outside, when Caoimhe began telling stories about elections that had significant impacts in the past.

Ga: Bhí ceann acu, dar léi, faoi thoghchán cuimhneacháin sna hochtóidí nuair a tháinig athrú suntasach ar an bpolasaí comhshaoil.
En: One of them, she said, was about a memorable election in the eighties when there was a significant change in environmental policy.

Ga: "Feiceann tú," lean sí uirthi, "Uaireanta is cúis an duine aonair leis an athrú.
En: "You see," she continued, "sometimes an individual's cause is the reason for change."

Ga: " D'fhéach Eoin timpeall air, ag féachaint ar an slua timpeall, gach duine ceann i gceann eile, ag tabhairt orthu dul i muinín agus dóchas as an gcóras.
En: Eoin looked around, observing the crowd, everyone heads bowed, drawing on faith and hope in the system.

Ga: Agus d'fhan siad.
En: And they waited.

Ga: Cinnte, bhí an líne fada, ach nuair a bhí sé ina sheasamh ann, bhí athrú ag tarlú istigh i gcroí Eoin.
En: Sure, the line was long, but while standing there, a change was happening inside Eoin's heart.

Ga: Thosaigh sé ag athmhachnamh ar na scéalta a chuala sé agus an dóigh a raibh an pobal áitrithe go mór chun guth a chur ar pháipéar.
En: He began to reconsider the stories he'd heard and how the community was moved to put their voice on paper.

Ga: Nuair a bhí Eoin sa deireadh ag an mbosca vótála, bhí sé rud beag néirbhíseach ach níos cinnte.
En: When Eoin finally reached the ballot box, he was a bit nervous but more certain.

Ga: Thóg sé nóiméad gairid, agus dhealraigh sé le Caoimhe le gruaig éadrom go raibh sí sábháilte agus buíoch.
En: He took a brief moment, and it appeared to Caoimhe with her light hair that she was safe and grateful.

Ga: Fuair sé a phinn agus leithéidigh sé an cliabhán.
En: He got his pen and marked the box.

Ga: Ní raibh sé ach fleasc bheag, ach mothaigh sé ionramháil chumhachtach anois.
En: It was just a small gesture, but it felt like a powerful handling now.

Ga: Ag teacht amach ón scoil, bhí Caoimhe ag gáire, sásta mar is gnáth, go raibh Eoin tar éis a vóta a chaitheamh.
En: Coming out of the school, Caoimhe was smiling, as usual, happy that Eoin had cast his vote.

Ga: "Féach?
En: "See?"

Ga: " a dúirt sí.
En: she said.

Ga: "Tá sé i do lámha anois.
En: "It's in your hands now."

Ga: "Agus smaoinigh Eoin, cé gur náisiún beag iad, gur féidir le guthanna beaga dul i bhfeidhm ar an gcomhshaol mór.
En: And Eoin thought, even though they were a small nation, small voices could impact the larger world.

Ga: Bhí deireadh lena chinnteacht agus chothromaigh sé a thuiscint go mb’fhéidir fós ina chuid den athrú.
En: His certainty had ended and balanced with the understanding that he might be part of the change.

Ga: Ah, a cheap sé agus é ag breathnú ar na duilleoga ag titim go réidh ó na crainn, bhí luach sa tsaoirse agus sa daonlathas níos mó ná mar a thuigeann sé riamh.
En: Ah, he thought as he watched the leaves gently falling from the trees, there was value in freedom and democracy greater than he ever realized.

Ga: Agus bhí Eoin, anois, réidh le bheith mar chuid de sin.
En: And Eoin, now, was ready to be part of that.


Vocabulary Words:

• autumn: fómhair
• polling station: áit vótála
• determined: d'fhonn
• enthusiasm: díograis
• environmental: comhshaoil
• cynical: ciniciúil
• mindset: intinn
• adorned: maisithe
• leaves: duilleoga
• muddy: glúineach
• significant: suntasach
• individual: duine aonair
• faith: muinín
• nervous: néirbhíseach
• gesture: fleasc
• handling: ionramháil
• ballot box: bosca vótála
• grateful: buíoch
• certainty: cinnteacht
• balance: chothromaigh
• observe: féachaint
• impact: tionchar
• freedom: sa tsaoirse
• democracy: daonlathas
• valuable: luach
• vote: vóta
• election: toghchán
• issue: ceist
• loyal: dílis
• idea: smaoineamh