Have you ever read martial arts novels(小说)?Even if you haven't, you've probably watched films or TV shows, or played video games that feature martial arts.
Martial arts novels are a big part of Chinese pop culture. Al-most everyone in China knows the names of some characters or martial arts moves (武功招式)from these books. These books show a fantasy(幻想的) world called jianghu. Xia, or fighting heroes, live in jianghu. They do martial arts and fight for honor.
Legends of the Condor Heroes《射雕英雄传》is one of the most famous martial arts novels. An English version(版本)of the book came out in 2018. The book tells the story of Guo Jing. He is not a very talented young man. But he tries his best and becomes a hero to fight for his country. The book is popular in China. But what about the English version? Will foreign readers enjoy jianghu, too?
Anna Holmwood from the UK translated the book. She doesn't think this will be a problem. Western people read stories about knights(骑士) and novels like The Three Musketeers《三个火枪手》), she says. These stories are very much like martial arts novels.
Some people may think jianghu is too foreign for Westerners. However,people a-round the world can enjoy the love, loyalty(忠诚)and honor in the stories.