ещё as a strengthening adverb

[pimlicodude]

In 200 Years Together by Solzhenitsyn, there is this:

Рад бы я был не пытать своих сил ещё на такой остроте

It's difficult to translate this еще. Or I haven't worked out a translation for it. Is this just a strengthening word, or is there is a way of translating it into English?

 

[nizzebro]

It's difficult to translate this еще.

For me, even as a native speaker, it is difficult either.

Most likely it means:

Рад бы я был не пытать своих сил ещё и на такой остроте
- I would prefer not to test myself (in addition to all I had before) on such thorny issue.

Less likely:

Рад бы я был не пытать своих сил ещё более на такой остроте
- I would prefer not to test myself (further (- and especially)) on such thorny issue.

But actually it feels like something in-between. But I'm not an expert in Solzhenitsyn; let's wait for others.

 

[Vovan]

Is this just a strengthening word, or is there is a way of translating it into English?

It's not immediately clear which word(s) the emphatic "ещё" here refers to. But whatever that is, "ещё" may safely be omitted altogether.

 

[GCRaistlin]

Из контекста следует, что имеется в виду: Рад был бы я не быть тем публицистом, которому суждено взять на себя освещение (ещё и) такого (острого) вопроса.

 

[Maroseika]

Ещё и seems to me the most probable if not evident.