As has been pointed out some words contain an element of emotive evaluation. The element of emotive meaning may be regarded as another seme, and is an integral element of their semantic structure, e.g. love, hate, to cry, to suffer, etc.
Morphological factors may heighten the emotive meaning already contained in the semantic structure of a word. For instance, the emotive meaning inherent in the word vexation is intensified by the use of this word in the plural.
Despite the limitation on its jurisdiction, the International Court of Justice manages to smooth a considerable number of petty frictions, and keep them from becoming serious vexations. (P.Lyon).
, .
The emotive meaning is created by connotations which may be positive or negative. In the following example the endless resolutions received by the National Peace Committee has positive connotations. Its correlated word cannot be used in the translation of this phrase as it will evoke negative connotations: boring, dull. The right word to choose in this context is () , .
The meaning of the English noun blow is neutral but when it is used with the preposition for or against it acquires positive or negative connotations respectively (help, oppose The COD) whereas the Russian noun always evokes negative connotations.
The peaceful policy of the Soviet Union is a tremendous blow for peace.
.
The Russian verb conveys positive connotations, e.g. , whereas itsreferential equivalent in English is evidently neutral.
Horror dawned in her face. (Victoria Holt)
.
These connotations may form part of the same semantic structure of a word but they may also be due to its collocations with certain words and become permanent, compare: , , ; , , .
Emotive meaning varies in different word classes. In some of them, for example, in interjections, the emotive element prevails. On the other hand, in conjunctions the emotive meaning is practically non-existent. In other classes of words which possess emotive meaning it forms, as has already been said, part of their semantic structure.
Emotive meaning should be rendered in translation. Words of wide semantic structure, of vague and indefinite semantic boundaries are difficult for translation due to their semantic ambiguity and the possibility of subjective interpretation. The adjective fierce, for example, is a good illustration of that kind of emotive meaning. The dominant seme inherent in all its lexical-semantic variants is the seme of vehemence which acquires different semantic modifications in these variants. The dictionary gives the following meanings: fierce 1., , ; 2., ; 3., ; 4., ; 5. .. , .
|
|
|
There was no answer, only the tapping on the window, once more repeated, fierce and sharp. (I.Murdoch).
, , .
At night passers would see the fierce dead glare of the patent lamp.
(W.Falkner)
- .
The Spaniards ruled Sardinia for four centuries and gave Sardinians their aura of grave courtliness and their fierce pride.
.
The element of vehemence is distinctly felt in all these uses of the word fierce corresponding to all its dictionary lexical-semantic variants. But in the following example the reference of the adjective fierce is suppressed by its emotive meaning and it is practically used as an expletive. Its vague referential meaning is commented upon by the writer.
In a fury of haste he dragged a bottle-green sweater over the dark red one he wore. Gosh, he exclaimed, this is fierce . What he designated as fierce can only be guessed, but probably referred to the furious speed with which life was moving. (M. de la Roche).
- -, . , - . , , , .
There are cases when fierce deprived of all reference becomes a mere intensifier/ the translation in such cases is purely contextual? E.g. fierce black hair, fierce red moustache , - .
Sometimes different usage of different valency do not allow the use of the correlated Russian word with the same reference.
In the general strike, the fight against the depression, the antifascist struggle, and against Hitlerism the British Communist party played a proud role.
, .
Proud and have the same degree of intensity and may be regarded as emotive equivalents.
As has already been pointed out the emotive meaning of some adjectives and adverbs is pronounced that it suppresses their referential meaning and they come to be used merely as intensifiers. Their translation is achieved by Russian intensifiers irrespective of their reference.
Even judged by Tery standards, the level of the debate on the devaluation of the pound yesterday was abysmally low.
, () .
