Author(s)

Xiaoli Gao ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of Foreign Languages, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong

Corresponding Author

Xiaoli Gao

ABSTRACT

This study examines the English translations of martial arts moves in Jin Yong's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", specifically focusing on the renditions by Anna Holmwood (Volume I) and Gigi Chang (Volume II), and investigates the core challenges of cultural transfer in translating martial arts terminology. Through casebycase analysis, it is found that Hao Yuqing adopts a domesticationled strategy, enhancing readability by supplementing translations and substituting evocative imagery, thereby foregrounding readeroriented subjectivity. Zhang Jing, by contrast, prioritizes the retention of uniquely Chinese cultural elements, reflecting deeper cultural engagement. Both translators employ creative rebellion to balance cultural fidelity and reader accessibility, yet their divergent strategies stem from differing self-positioning: the former regards martial arts fiction as "fantasy literature," while the latter emphasizes its role as a "vehicle for Eastern philosophy." This research confirms that creative rebellion is an essential mechanism in cultural recoding, offering strategic insights for the international promotion of Chinese literature.

KEYWORDS

Translator Subjectivity; Creative Rebellion; English Translation of Martial Arts Moves; "the Legend of the Condor Heroes"

CITE THIS PAPER

Xiaoli Gao, Translator Subjectivity and Creative Rebellion: A Study on the English Translations of Martial Arts Moves in the Legend of the Condor Heroes. Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2025) Vol. 8: 96-103. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2025.080415.

REFERENCES

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