Explored the importance of Chinese literature translation in international communication and emphasized the socio-cultural nature of translation activities. With the rise of the "social turn" and "sociological turn" in translation studies, social translation studies have become a research hotspot. Bourdieu's theory of cultural production, particularly the concept of capital, provides a theoretical framework for analyzing translation activities. The English translation of Chinese novels tends to be diversified, such as the English translation of martial arts novels. This study takes the English translation of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" as an example and applies Bourdieu's capital theory to analyze the use of cultural capital, social capital, symbolic capital, and economic capital, aiming to provide strategies for the translation of Chinese literature.

Interpretation of Bourdieu's Sociological Field and Capital Theory

Bourdieu's sociological field theory holds that social activities occur within a specific social space, forming a network of competitive relationships. Competitors in the field compete for victory through different forms of capital, which is the tool and goal of the struggle. Capital is divided into four types: economic, cultural, social, and symbolic, each with its specific form and function. Economic capital is the root of other forms of capital, and research should focus on how capital is transformed into economic capital.

Analysis of Capital Operation in the English Translation of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"

Jin Yong's martial arts novels usually occupy a peripheral position in the field of literary translation, but their status can be elevated through capital operation. The English translation of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was translated by Hao Yuqing, who is proficient in both Chinese and English. She utilized cultural capital and simplified strategies to handle details, making the translation easy for English readers to understand. Social capital is reflected in choosing the commercial publishing house McLeod and utilizing its sales channels and resources to promote translations. Symbolic capital enhances the recognition of translations through media evaluations, commercial recommendations, and reader reviews. Economic capital is reflected in the sales of translations and copyright sales. The translations have been reprinted multiple times since their publication in 2018 and have been purchased for copyright by multiple countries, demonstrating their market success.

The Enlightenment of Capital Operation on the Translation of Chinese Literature into Foreign Languages

In the successful case of Hao Yuqing's English translation of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", translators, publishers, readers, and other parties utilized social capital, cultural capital, and symbolic capital to promote the success of the translation. The social capital of translators is reflected in their experience as publishing agents and their understanding of the market and reader expectations; Cultural capital is reflected in language proficiency, a deep understanding of Chinese culture, and flexible translation strategies. In the post translation stage, media guidance, commercial promotion, and reader evaluation increase the symbolic capital of the translation, while economic capital is achieved through the joint operation of other forms of capital.

4 Conclusion

In the field of translating Jin Yong's martial arts novels into English, successful translation requires the use of cultural, social, symbolic, and economic capital. Taking the English translation of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" as an example, this paper analyzes the manifestation and joint operation of capital in translation behavior, and points out that the translation needs to integrate field resources to form a joint force.