Modalité expressive en portugais dans le texte littéraire (littérature lusophone) et sa traduction en français : l’expression de l’émotion

In this article we propose to establish a comparative analysis of the expression of emotion through French translations of contemporary Portuguese literature. Our corpus is composed of the following literary works: Cemiterio de Pianos by Jose Luis Peixoto, Tratado das Paixoes da Alma by Antonio Lobo Antunes et Niketche, Uma historia da Poligamia by Paulina Chiziane. From this corpus we have tried to highlight some processes which represent the expressive modality - the exclamatory sentences, interjections and diminutive and augmentative in both languages. We wondered if the expression of emotion had the same degree of intensity in French and Portuguese, or if it was, instead, attenuated or intensified? Our corpus reveals the existence of “delicate areas” (cf. Maria Helena CARREIRA: 1990-1991: 1) in the translation from Portuguese to French, mainly regarding the use of diminutives. These weaknesses are characterized by frequent reduction of the intensity and can even get to its cancellation. We also observed the irony present in some examples of diminutives, is diverted and the degree and type of modality are corrupted. Axiological modality that binds to the expression of subjectivity, and which requires the participation of the reader seems to generate difficulties to the translator who frequently cancels them or gives them a different value.