Equivalence in the Vietnamese Translation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Equivalence has been the central concern in Translation Studies and always challenges the translator’s abilities. Equivalence is also the factor determining the closeness of target text (TT) to the source text (ST). By applying the theories suggested by Vinay and Darbelnet, Nida and Taber, Catford, Baker, House and Pym, as well as the qualitative method to describe the semantic features of the ST and the TT, this study has investigated and compared the Shakespeare’s English and the Vietnamese translation of Romeo and Juliet by Dang The Binh to find out the levels of equivalence in regards to semantic features. It has been found that both objective and subjective factors, in which language differences, culture and the translator’s ability are the keys affecting the orientation of choosing equivalents of the translator. It is, therefore, no unique type of equivalence in the Vietnamese translation, but the mixture of dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence. As a result, the translation is partly covert and also partly overt