I think this is the excerpt (p. 23):
"Thus may it be true that the way to translate from Chinese to Arabic,
or from Russian to Portuguese, is not to attempt the direct route
[...]. Perhaps the way is to descend, from each language, down to the
common base of human communication -- the real but as yet undiscovered
universal language -- and then re-emerge by whatever particular route
is convenient."
One could argue that this describes the general idea, but does not
specify a method -- the latter being what Tolin claims to have been the
first one to invent. However, in conjunction with later publications
that describe algorithmic methods using "interpretive steps rather than
a strict word for word translation," it would make the point even stronger!
-- Bill Manaris, Ph.D. | Office : (318) 482-6638 Computer Science Department | Fax : (318) 482-5791 Univ. of SW Louisiana, P.O. Box 41771 | E-mail : manaris@usl.edu 2 Rex St., Lafayette, LA 70504-1771, USA | WWW : http://www.usl.edu/~manaris