function translate(language, code)
    local translations;
    if language == "javascript" or language == "js" then
        translations = {
            --match math
            ["("..patterns.phrase..")%s*%+%+"] = "%1 = %1 + 1",
            ["("..patterns.phrase..")%s*%-%-"] = "%1 = %1 - 1",
            ["("..patterns.phrase..")%s*%+=%s*("..patterns.number..")"] = "%1 = %1 + %2",

            --match declarations
            ["(function%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*%(.+%))%s*%{"] = "%1",
            ["(while%s*%(.+%)%s*)%{"] = "%1 do",
            ["for%s*%(("..patterns.phrase..")%s*=%s*("..patterns.number..");%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*.%s*("..patterns.number..");%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*=%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*.%s*("..patterns.number..")%s*%)%s*%{"] = "for %1 = %2, %3, %4 do",
            ["for%s*%(("..patterns.phrase..")%s*=%s*("..patterns.number..");%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*.%s*("..patterns.phrase..");%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*=%s*"..patterns.phrase.."%s*.%s*("..patterns.number..")%s*%)%s*%{"] = "for %1 = %2, %3, %4 do",
            ["console%.log"] = "print",
            ["var"] = "local",
            ["%}"] = "end",
        }
    end
    for pattern, replace in pairs(translations) do
        code = code:gsub(pattern, replace)
    end
    return code
end