Translation of words with emotive meaning
Emotive meaning may be regarded as one of the objective semantic features proper to words as linguistic units and should not be confused with contextual emotive meaning that words may acquire in speech. Emotive meaning varies in different word classes. In some of them, for example, in interjections, the emotive element prevails whereas in function words it is practically non-existent.
The emotion meaning is based on connotations - positive, negative or neutral. Russian is rich in emotive suffixes whose meaning is rendered by using additional lexical items (e.g. - small, wretched house) or different lexemes (cf.: - house, -hovel).
Some words may acquire a negative or positive connotation in different contexts. The noun "glamour" and the adjective "glamorous" may illustrate this point. The following examples are from Somerset Maugham: R. was captivated by the vulgar glamour and the shoddy brilliance of the scene before him. P. .
(As a matter of fact both collocations "vulgar glamour" and "shoddy brilliance" are synonymous):
...who were attracted for the moment by the glamour of the dancer or the blatant sensuality of the woman. -... .
Cf.: the following example from a newspaper review:;.
Hirsh's Richard is not lacking in glamour. Facially he is a smiling fallen angel (The Observer Review, 1973). . .
Sometimes differences in usage or valency do not allow the use of the Russian referential equivalent, and the translator is forced to resort to a l exical repl acement with the emotive meaning preserved.
In the general strike, the fight against the depression, the antifascist struggle, and the struggle against Hitlerism the British Communist Party played a proud role (The Labour Monthly, 1970).
, , .
The emotive meaning of some adjectives and adverbs is so strong that it suppresses the referential meaning (I. R. Galperin. Stylistics. M.,1971, p.60.) and they are used merely as intensifies. They are rendered by Russian intensifies irrespective of their reference. i_
Even judged by Tory standards, the level of the debate on the devaluation of the pound yesterday was abysmally low (M.S., 1973).
/ / .
The emotive meaning often determines the translator's choice. The English word "endless" is neutral in its connotations, while the Russian has negative connotations - boring or tiresome ( ). Thus, in the translation of the phrase "the endless resolutions received by the National Peace Committee" the word "endless" should be translated by Russian adjective "" or "". , . The Russian word conveys positive connotations, e.g. " ", where as its English referential equivalent is evidently neutral. Horror dawned in her face (Victoria Holt). A possible translation will be: Ÿ .
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Rendering of Stylistic Meaning in Translation
Every word is stylistically marked according to the layer of the vocabulary it belongs to. Stylistically words can be subdivided into litera ry and non-literary. (See I. R. Galperin, op. cit. - p.63.) The stylistic function of the different strata of the English vocabulary depends not so much on the inner qualities of each of the groups as on their interaction when opposed to one another.(l. R. Galperin, op. cit. - p.68.) Care should be taken to render stylistic meaning
If you don't keep your yap shut "... (J.Salinger) /. . / Then he really let one go at me (ibid.) - -.
It would be an error to translate a neutral or a literary word by a colloquial one. A mistake of this type occurs in the excellent translation of Henry Esmond by E. Kalashnikova:
"She had recourse to the ultimo ratio of all women and burst into tears." - ultimo ratio .
