Which type of programming language needs to be translated into machine code?

High level languages are designed to be easier for humans to read and write, abstracting much of the complexity involved in programming. However, computers operate using machine code, which consists of binary instructions specific to a processor architecture. Therefore, high-level languages must be translated into machine code for the computer to understand and execute the instructions. This translation is typically done through compilers or interpreters.

In contrast, assembly language, which is a form of low-level programming language, is closely related to machine language and can often be translated directly into machine code without the need for a more complex intermediary step. Machine language itself consists of binary code and does not require translation as it is already in a form that the computer can execute. Low-level languages are more aligned with machine instructions and do not generally require the same level of translation as high-level languages do.