Translation, the transfer of the written word from one language to another, has a long history, and many important scholars have helped shape its perceptions, accepted processes, and theories. Machine translation, translation by computer software requiring little or no human input, is the latest movement in the translation field, a possible way for the profession to keep abreast of the enormous demand for scientific, business, and technical translations. This study examines MT by placing it in a historical context — first exploring the history of translation and translation theory, then following that explanation with one of machine translation, its problems, and its potential.