The constraints of translating martial arts fiction

This article comments on the notion of ‘constraint’ by analysing the specific difficulties in the translation of a martial arts (‘wuxia’) novel into French and English. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳, she diao ying xiong zhuan) is the first part of the ‘Condor Trilogy’ (射鵰三部曲, she diao san b...

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Main Authors: Andrea Musumeci, Dominic Glynn, Qu Qifei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Liverpool University Press 2021-12-01
Series:Francosphères
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/franc.2021.17
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author Andrea Musumeci
Dominic Glynn
Qu Qifei
author_facet Andrea Musumeci
Dominic Glynn
Qu Qifei
author_sort Andrea Musumeci
collection DOAJ
description This article comments on the notion of ‘constraint’ by analysing the specific difficulties in the translation of a martial arts (‘wuxia’) novel into French and English. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳, she diao ying xiong zhuan) is the first part of the ‘Condor Trilogy’ (射鵰三部曲, she diao san bu qu), the masterpiece of Chinese writer Jin Yong (金庸). Little known in the West, the novel was recently translated by Anna Holmwood and Wang Jiann-Yuh. This article studies the strategies adopted by each translator to render the cultural specificities of the source context in the target culture. By so doing, it contributes to theoretical debates concerning transfers between two distant literary and cultural systems.
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language English
publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher Liverpool University Press
record_format Article
series Francosphères
spelling doaj-art-d41e57b4b6cd47a8b856abc39b1b8f3c2025-08-20T02:24:58ZengLiverpool University PressFrancosphères2046-38202046-38392021-12-0110224526410.3828/franc.2021.17The constraints of translating martial arts fictionAndrea Musumeci0Dominic Glynn1Qu Qifei2City University of Hong Kong and Université d’Évry (Paris-Saclay) , ,City University of Hong Kong and Université d’Évry (Paris-Saclay) , ,City University of Hong Kong and Université d’Évry (Paris-Saclay) , ,This article comments on the notion of ‘constraint’ by analysing the specific difficulties in the translation of a martial arts (‘wuxia’) novel into French and English. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳, she diao ying xiong zhuan) is the first part of the ‘Condor Trilogy’ (射鵰三部曲, she diao san bu qu), the masterpiece of Chinese writer Jin Yong (金庸). Little known in the West, the novel was recently translated by Anna Holmwood and Wang Jiann-Yuh. This article studies the strategies adopted by each translator to render the cultural specificities of the source context in the target culture. By so doing, it contributes to theoretical debates concerning transfers between two distant literary and cultural systems.http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/franc.2021.17translationculture-specific itemsconstraintsreception of Chinese literaturewuxiaJin Yong
spellingShingle Andrea Musumeci
Dominic Glynn
Qu Qifei
The constraints of translating martial arts fiction
Francosphères
translation
culture-specific items
constraints
reception of Chinese literature
wuxia
Jin Yong
title The constraints of translating martial arts fiction
title_full The constraints of translating martial arts fiction
title_fullStr The constraints of translating martial arts fiction
title_full_unstemmed The constraints of translating martial arts fiction
title_short The constraints of translating martial arts fiction
title_sort constraints of translating martial arts fiction
topic translation
culture-specific items
constraints
reception of Chinese literature
wuxia
Jin Yong
url http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/franc.2021.17
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