Some practice in translation

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 БАРС dictionary gives the following meanings: fierce – 1. свирепый, лютый, жестокий; 2. неистовый, сильный; 3. неудержимый, горячий; 4. бодрый, энергичный; 5. амер. жарг. невыносимый, отвратительный.
There was no answer, only the tapping on the window, once more repeated, fierce and sharp. (I.Murdoch).
Никто не ответил, только повторился стук в окно, сильный и резкий.
At night passers would see the fierce dead glare of the patent lamp. (W.Falkner)
Ночью прохожие видели нестерпимо-яркий мертвенный свет неприкрытого щитом уличного фонаря.
The Spaniards ruled Sardinia for four centuries and gave Sardinians their aura of grave courtliness and their fierce pride.
Испанцы правили Сардинией четыре столетия и привили сардинцам суровую учтивость и необузданную гордость.
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).
В безумной спешке он натянул темно-зеленый свитер поверх темно-красного, который на нем был. «Черт возьми», - воскликнул он – «здорово». Что он хотел сказать этим, можно только догадываться, возможно он имел в виду ту бешеную скорость, с какой летела жизнь.
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 – черные как смоль волосы, огненно-рыжие усы.
Sometimes different usage of different Valency does 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.
Во время всеобщей забастовки в борьбе против кризиса, в антифашистской борьбе в самой Англии и в борьбе против гитлеризма коммунистическая партия Великобритании играла выдающуюся роль.
“Proud” and “выдающийся” 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.
Даже с точки зрения консерваторов, дебаты в Палате Общин вчера по вопросу с девальвации фунта происходили на чрезвычайно (невероятно) низком уровне.