This document discusses the concept of equivalence in translation theory. It addresses how equivalence has been used to define translation but few have defined equivalence itself. Equivalence is commonly associated with the end result of translation as a one-way process without a clear subject. The document also examines how concepts of value and equivalence originated from economic theories and were applied to linguistics by Saussure. It argues that equivalence is not a natural relationship between language systems but rather a fiction that facilitates intercultural communication.