Bourdieu’s Capitals in Translation: A Case Study on the English Reception of <i>Happy Dreams</i>

This paper presents a case study of Happy Dreams, a rural novel by the acclaimed Chinese writer Jia Pingwa, which has gained significant attention in the English-speaking world through its translation by Nicky Harman. The study delves into the factors influencing the acceptance of the English version of Happy Dreams by examining the roles of three major cultural active agents: the author, the translator, and the publisher. It commences with a close examination of reviews, and sales figures on Amazon and Goodreads to observe how these three agents leverage their respective capitals to enhance the international recognition of Happy Dreams. Based on the data, the paper employs descriptive analysis to detail the agents’ contributions and explanatory methods to uncover the underlying mechanisms that lead to the novel’s international recognition. This study aims to shed light on the interplay between the capitals of the author, the translator, and the publisher, highlighting how their collective efforts promote the novel’s international recognition and by extension, Chinese contemporary literature.