It is the nature of idea to be communicated: written, spoken, done. The idea is like grass. It craves light, likes crowds, thrives on crossbreeding, grows better for being stepped on.
chan eil mòran as urrainn dhomhsa a ràdh mun leabhar seo nach tuirt daoine eile — gu sònraichte Samuel R. Delany, san aiste fhada aige “To Read The Dispossessed” — roimhe. chan ann gun adhbhar a tha e a’ nochdadh san t-sreath “Modern Classics” aig Harper Perennial, a dh’fhoillsich an tionndadh a leugh mise. is bochd nach deach an tionndadh sin fhoillseachadh leis an fho-thiotal a chuirear (uaireannan) ris an leabhar — “An Ambiguous Utopia”, tuairisgeul a tha gu math freagarrach do shusbaint an leabhair.
tha an leabhar stèidhichte air dà phlanaid a’ dol timcheall air a chèile mar ghealaichean, Anarres — às a bheil am prìomh-charactar Shevek, a’ tighinn — agus Urras (tha e na cho-thuiteamas — tha mi ’n dùil, co-dhiù — fortanach gur i “Urras” ainm na planaide far a bheil stàitean làidir). thàinig sluagh Anarres à Urras an toiseach: ’s e th’ annta ach coimhearsnachd stèidhichte air feallsanachd phoileataigeach sònraichte, “Odonianism” (Odonachas?), air a togail air prionnsabalan ana-riaghailteachd is co-ionnannachd radaigeach. dh’fhàg na h-Anarresti Urras airson stàitean (calpach, gu sònraichte, ach tha stàit shòisealach ann, cuideachd, agus tha teagamhan a cheart cho mòr aig na h-Anarresti uimpese) na planaide a sheachnadh, an dòchas coimhearsnachd ùr-nuadh a chruthachadh dhaibh fhèin, gun shealbhadaireachd, gun chumhachd stàitean, gun riaghaltas. ’s i tè de phrìomh-cheistean an leabhair: an do shoirbhich leotha? cò ris a bhiodh sòisealtas ana-riaghailteach coltach, an da-rìribh?
tha prìomh-charactar na nobhaile, Shevek, na neach-saidheans, an sàs ann an “chronosophy”, .i., fiosaigs an ama. ann an Anarres, ge-tà, tha e a’ strì an aghaidh seòrsa somaltachd: tha sòisealtas Anarres stèidhichte air practaigeachd, agus chan eilear a’ faicinn luach san obair eas-chruthach aig Shevek. mar sin, agus an aghaidh miann cuid mhòr dhen t-sluagh, thèid Shevek a thadhal air luchd-saidheans Urras san dùthaich chalpaich A-Io, feuch an tèid aige air barrachd rannsachaidh a dhèanamh agus, mar a their esan, ballachan a leagail agus drochaidean a thogail eadar an dà phlanaid. mar a bhite an dùil, ge-tà, chan eil am fuasgladh a cheart cho furasta ’s a tha e a’ smaoineachadh, agus ionnsaichidh e gu luath gu bheil trioblaidean (mòra) aig Urras, cuideachd, trioblaidean nach robh e an da-rìribh a thuigsinn gus an do ràinig e.
aig a’ cheart àm, tha an leabhar a’ toirt sùil air ais air beatha Shevek: tha gach dàrna caibideil ga leantainn tro bheatha bho bhreith gu dìreach mus do dh’fhàg e Anarres. gheibh sinn, ma-thà, an dà chuid sealladh coigrich air sòisealtas calpach agus cur-an-aithne do shòisealtas ana-riaghailteach Anarres. seo far a bheil an dà-sheaghachas a dh’ainmicheas am fo-thiotal ga nochdadh gu soilleir: chithear an teanntachd eadar ìomhaigh Anarres dhith fhèin (mar shòisealtas co-ionnann, gun chumhachd, far a bheil gach neach fa-leth saor a dhèanamh mar a thogras) agus fìorachd na cùise (gu bheil cumhachdan neo-fhoirmeil ann fiù ’s às aonais an riaghaltais fhoirmeil).
’s ann mu dhiofar rudan a tha an leabhar: structaran sòisealta agus atharrachaidhean sòisealta, mì-cheartas (agus ciamar a thèid a cheartachadh), na dàimhean eadar gnèithean, dè th’ ann an “dachaigh”, is eile. chì leughadairean a tha eòlach air obair Le Guin comharran nan dùbhlan teòiridheil àbhaisteach aice air feadh an leabhair: meidh, cumhachd, gnè, atharrachadh. a thaobh cuid dhiubh (gnè agus, gu sònraichte, co-sheòrsachd), tha mi ag aontachadh ri meas Dhelany, gu bheil sealladh Le Guin ro stèidhichte san t-suidheachadh (mhì-cheart is chalpach) san robh i a’ sgrìobhadh, agus mar sin gu bheil i a’ lagachadh a h-argamaide fhèin; san fharsaingeachd, ge-tà, dhomhsa dheth tha i a’ làimhseachadh nan cuspair ris a bheil i a’ dèiligeadh ann an dòigh chiallach is mhothachail.
mar a tha i ann an àiteachan eile san obair aice (an dà chuid ficsean agus aistidhean), tha i a’ feuchainn ri dòigh fhaighinn gus faighinn seachad air mì-cheartas, mì-chothrom, is fulang — chan ann gan seachnadh, ach a’ dol tromhpa, feuch dè ghabhas saoilsinn air an taobh thall, mar a their Shevek san leabhar fhèin:
“Suffering is a misunderstanding,” Shevek said, leaning forward, his eyes wide and light.
[...]
“[Suffering] exists,” Shevek said, spreading out his hands. “It’s real. I can call it a misunderstanding, but I can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist, or will ever cease to exist. Suffering is the condition on which we live. And when it comes, you know it. You know it as the truth. Of course it’s right to cure diseases, to prevent hunger and injustice, as the social organism does. But no society can change the nature of existence. We can’t prevent suffering. This pain and that pain, yes, but not Pain. A society can only relieve social suffering, unnecessary suffering. The rest remains. The root, the reality. All of us here are going to know grief; if we live fifty years, we’ll have known pain for fifty years. And in the end we’ll die. That’s the condition we’re born on. I’m afraid of life! There are times I—I am very frightened. Any happiness seems trivial. And yet, I wonder if it isn’t all a misunderstanding—this grasping after happiness, this fear of pain….If instead of fearing it and running from it, one could…get through it, go beyond it. There is something beyond it. It’s the self that suffers, and there’s a place where the self—ceases. I don’t know how to say it. But I believe that the reality—the truth that I recognize in suffering as I don’t in comfort and happiness—that the reality of pain is not pain. If you can get through it. If you can endure it all the way.”
tha an rudeigin eile, an rudeigin thall thairis seo a’ cur nam chuimhne aiste a sgrìobh a’ bhana-bhàrd, sgrìobhadair, is neach-teòiridh Dhubh Audre Lorde mun turas aice san Aonadh Shoibhiatach sna 1970an:
It will take a while and a lot of dreams to metabolize all I’ve seen and felt in these hectic two weeks. I haven’t even discussed the close bonding I felt with some of the African writers and how difficult it was to get to know others. I have no reason to believe Russia is a free society. I have no reason to believe Russia is a classless society. Russia does not even appear to be a strictly egalitarian society. But bread does cost a few kopecs a loaf and everybody I saw seemed to have enough of it. Of course, I did not see Siberia, nor a prison camp, nor a mental hospital. But that fact, in a world where most people — certainly most Black people — are on a breadconcern level, seems to me to be quite a lot. If you conquer the bread problem, that gives you at least a chance to look around at the others. (2007, 34)
am measg iomadh rud eile, mar sin, theirinnsa gur ann mun a seo a tha The Dispossessed: dè ghabhadh — dè ghabhas — dèanamh le dùbhlan an arain, gu ìre mhòr, air a chur às. chan eil sòisealtas Anarres gun trioblaidean. chan eil e gu tur co-ionnann. chan eil e idir, idir foirfe. ach, a dh’aindeoin a’ ghortais uabhasaich a chì sinn san nobhail, tha dùbhlan an arain, gu ìre mhòr, air fhuasgladh. ach, mar a dh’aithnicheas Shevek agus an fheadhainn mu thimcheall, chan eil siud ach na thoiseach-tòiseachaidh, bun-stèidh riatanach na rèabhlaide gun chrìoch a bu chòir dhan fhìor-ana-riaghailteachd a chur air dòigh.
tha nòta beag agam, cuideachd, mun tionndadh seo (Harper Perennial, 2014) gu sònraichte, agus ’s e: ciamar a tha a liuthad mhearachdan (litreachaidh is clò-shuidheachaidh) fhathast sa chò-aige-tha-fios-amh thionndadh de dh’fhear dhe na leabhraichean ficsein-shaidheans as ainmeile bhon fhicheadamh linn, le tè dhe na sgrìobhadairean as cudromaiche, chanainnsa, bho chionn leth-cheud bhliadhnaichean? nach deach an litreachadh ’s an clò-shuidheachadh a sgrùdadh ro làimh? mo nàire.
(air ais: prìomh-dhuilleag · lèirmheasan a rèir ùghdair · lèirmheasan a rèir dùthcha · lèirmheasan eile o na Stàitean Aonaichte)