Exploring the Author–Translator–Publisher Relationship Using Bourdieu’s Capital: A Case Study of Jin Yong’s Martial Arts Fiction

ABSTRACT

Jin Yong was a successful martial arts fiction writer in China who had 15 prestigious works published. He created a fantasy world of wuxia for numerous Sinophone and non-Sinophone readers. Despite cultural and linguistic differences, four of Jin Yong’s works were translated into English. In the translation and international circulation of Jin Yong’s work, the contributions of the author, translators, and publishers—the three major cultural active agents in the transnational literary field—should be noted. By referencing Bourdieu’s concept of capital, this study utilizes descriptive and explanatory methods to identify the author–translator–publisher relationship and observe how these agents interact by leveraging their capital, so as to improve the international recognition of Jin Yong’s works.

KEYWORDS:

• Author–translator–publisher capital
• Bourdieu
• martial arts fiction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In the literary system, the professionals are critics, reviewers, teachers, and translators (Lefevere 1992, 14).

2 Patronage can be exerted by individuals and groups, religious bodies, political parties, a social class, a royal court, and publishers, as well as by the media (Lefevere 1992, 15).

3 A selling point made by the MLP: https://www.maclehosepress.com/titles/jin-yong/a-hero-born/9781848667921/.

4 Please see https://tinyurl.com/976kx5h3.

5 Please see Han Yunbo’s “History of Studies on Jin Yong’s Fictions”: https://www.jyjh.cn/jinyongjiedu/jinyongtan/1265.html.

6 Please see https://www4.hku.hk/hongrads/tc/citations/o-b-e-ll-b-louis-leung-yung-cha-o-b-e-ll-b-louis-cha-leung-yung.

7 Please see https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/26/chinese-fantasy-kung-fu-legend-of-the-condor-jin-yong.

8 Please see https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7uBjJwcAAAAJ&hl=zh-TW&oi=ao.

9 Please see the author’s preface in The Deer and the Cauldron.

10 Please see https://earnshawbooks.com/about-us/.

11 Please see https://earnshaw.com/writings/memoirs/king-fu-film-dubbing.

12 This remark can be found on the back cover of The Book and the Sword.

13 Please see https://shellybryant.com/.

14 Please see https://cup.cuhk.edu.hk/about_us.

15 Please see https://www.facebook.com/CUHKPress.

16 Please see https://global.oup.com/about/oup_history/?cc=gb.

17 Please see https://global.oup.com/academic/rights/translations/?cc=us&lang=en&.

18 Please see https://global.oup.com/about/publishing?cc=us.

19 Please see https://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n80126136/. Accessed on 13 November 2021.

20 Please see https://www.maclehosepress.com/landing-page/maclehose-press/maclehose-press-company-information/.

21 Please see https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/landing-page/hachette/hachette-and-the-environment/.

22 Please see http://dzzy.cbbr.com.cn/html/2018-09/28/node_23.htm.

23 Please see https://mingpaomonthly.com/article/details/%E5%B0%88%E9%A1%8C%EF%BC%8E%E7%89%B9%E8%BC%AF%2F2018-12%2F1590997583004%2F%E9%87%91%E5%BA%B8%E4%B8%8D%E5%8F%AA%E6%98%AF%E4%BD%9C%E5%AE%B6%EF%BC%8C%E6%9B%B4%E6%98%AF%E5%80%8B%E8%B1%A1%E5%BE%B5%E2%94%80%E2%94%80%E8%AA%8C%E9%87%91%E5%BA%B8%E8%BE%AD%E4%B8%96%EF%BC%88%E9%96%94%E7%A6%8F%E5%BE%B7%E3%80%80%E6%92%B0%E3%80%81%E8%B3%B4%E6%85%88%E8%8A%B8%E3%80%80%E8%AD%AF%EF%BC%89.

24 Please see https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171127/i-translated-chinese-writer-louis-cha-jin-yong-heres-why-he-never.

25 Please see https://www.oupchina.com.hk/zh/general-interest/general-reading/deer-and-cauldron.

26 Please see https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China under Grant No. 2023WKYXQN007.