This paper attempts to explain why anyone trying to translate Chinese martial arts fiction into English may find it difficult to reproduce successfully the authentic appeal of the original. Certain specifics of translating a martial arts novel, as well as those of reading one, will be discussed. Examples will be drawn from Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain', a contemporary classic martial arts novel by Jin Yong, one of the best known Chinese writers of this generation. The examples chosen will illustrate how some of the difficulties, inherent in the translating process and stretching beyond linguistic and cultural boundaries, may remain insurmountable in the end.