A programming language is formally defined as a system of notation for writing computer programs. It consists of a specific vocabulary (syntax) and a set of rules (semantics) that dictate how instructions are structured and interpreted. These instructions are used to implement algorithms and command a computer to perform specific tasks. The term encompasses all levels of languages, from high-level languages like Python to low-level ones like assembly, making it the correct general term for the definition provided.

A. Low-level language: This is a specific category of programming language (e.g., assembly) with little abstraction from hardware, not the general term itself.

B. Translator language: This is not a standard term. A translator (compiler or interpreter) is a program that converts code, not the language itself.

C. Machine language: This is a specific, very low-level language consisting of binary code that a CPU executes directly; it is a subset of programming languages.

1. Sebesta, R. W. (2019). Concepts of Programming Languages (12th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 1, "Preliminaries," Section 1.2, the author introduces the concept of a programming language by discussing its role in controlling computer operations through a set of defined instructions and rules.

2. Pratt, T. W., & Zelkowitz, M. V. (2001). Programming Languages: Design and Implementation (4th ed.). Prentice Hall. Chapter 1, Section 1.1, "The Study of Programming Languages," defines a programming language as a "notation for communicating to a computer what we want it to do," emphasizing its structure and rules.

3. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2016). 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python, Fall 2016. Lecture 1: What is Computation? The lecture defines a programming language as a formal language with fixed syntax (vocabulary) and static semantics (rules) that provide a means to give instructions to a computer.