Machine translation (MT): is the application of computers to the task of translating texts from one natural language to another. One of the very earliest pursuits in computer science, MT has proved to be an elusive goal, but today a number of systems are available which produce output which, if not perfect, is of sufficient quality to be useful for certain specific applications, usually in the domain of technical documentation. In addition, translation software packages which are designed primarily to assist the human translator in the production of translations are enjoying increasingly popularity within professional translation organizations.

Comprehending the enormous complexity of translating human
language and the inherent limitations of the current generation of
translation programs is essential to understanding MT today.