ABSTRACT
As was pointed out in Chapter 7, literal meaning is only one aspect of verbal meaning. To deal with meaning in terms of the literal reference conventionally attached to verbal signs is a necessary part of unravelling a complex message, but it is not, in itself, enough. In actual fact, the meaning of a text comprises a number of different layers: referential content, emotional colouring, cultural associations, social and personal connotations, and so on. The many-layered nature of meaning is something translators must never forget.
