凯文·凯莱赫（Kevin Kelleher）提出了一种有趣的编程语言对比方法：用每种语言所解决的问题来描述它。令人惊讶的是，竟然有如此多的语言可以用这种方式来描述，而且描述得如此贴切。
Kevin Kelleher suggested an interesting way to compare programming languages: to describe each in terms of the problem it fixes. The surprising thing is how many, and how well, languages can be described this way.
Algol： 汇编语言太底层了。
Algol: Assembly language is too low-level.
Pascal： Algol 的数据类型不够多。
Pascal: Algol doesn't have enough data types.
Modula： Pascal 用来做系统编程太软弱了。
Modula: Pascal is too wimpy for systems programming.
Simula： Algol 不太适合做模拟。
Simula: Algol isn't good enough at simulations.
Smalltalk： Simula 里面并非一切皆对象。
Smalltalk: Not everything in Simula is an object.
Fortran： 汇编语言太底层了。
Fortran: Assembly language is too low-level.
Cobol： Fortran 太吓人了。
Cobol: Fortran is scary.
PL/1： Fortran 的数据类型不够多。
PL/1: Fortran doesn't have enough data types.
Ada： 现有的所有语言都缺了点东西。
Ada: Every existing language is missing something.
Basic： Fortran 太吓人了。
Basic: Fortran is scary.
APL： Fortran 在处理数组方面不够好。
APL: Fortran isn't good enough at manipulating arrays.
J： APL 需要自己专属的字符集。
J: APL requires its own character set.
C： 汇编语言太底层了。
C: Assembly language is too low-level.
C++： C 语言太底层了。
C++: C is too low-level.
Java： C++ 是一个拼凑出来的烂摊子。而且微软要捏死我们了。
Java: C++ is a kludge. And Microsoft is going to crush us.
C#： Java 被 Sun 公司控制了。
C#: Java is controlled by Sun.
Lisp： 用图灵机来描述计算太别扭了。
Lisp: Turing Machines are an awkward way to describe computation.
Scheme： MacLisp 是一个拼凑出来的烂摊子。
Scheme: MacLisp is a kludge.
T： Scheme 没有库。
T: Scheme has no libraries.
Common Lisp： Lisp 的方言太多了。
Common Lisp: There are too many dialects of Lisp.
Dylan： Scheme 没有库，而且 Lisp 的语法太吓人了。
Dylan: Scheme has no libraries, and Lisp syntax is scary.
Perl： Shell 脚本/awk/sed 看起来不太像真正的编程语言。
Perl: Shell scripts/awk/sed are not enough like programming languages.
Python： Perl 是一个拼凑出来的烂摊子。
Python: Perl is a kludge.
Ruby： Perl 是一个拼凑出来的烂摊子，而且 Lisp 的语法太吓人了。
Ruby: Perl is a kludge, and Lisp syntax is scary.
Prolog： 编程看起来跟逻辑学不太沾边。
Prolog: Programming is not enough like logic.