Once Over Lightly

IF YOU'VE BEEN paying attention, you are probably aware that scientists have been trying to teach computers to translate this and that from one language to another. Naturally, Russian and English are the favorites, and two more difficult ones would be hard to find. Computers, being computers, struggle onward in spite of all obstacles and always come up with some kind of answer. To wit: Asked to translate the English cliche "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," the computer nearly blew its fuses producing, in Russian, "The liquor is fine, but the meat has gone bad."