sub translate_bold { ... }
sub translate_italics { ... }
...

##</code><code>##

sub build_trans
{
  my ($usenet, $tag) = @_;

  return sub {
    my ($text) = @_;
    # do translation here, using $usenet and $tag
  }
}

##</code><code>##

while (my $pat = &read_trans_pattern($cfg)) {
  $trans_funcs{$pat->{'usenet'}} = 
    &build_trans_func($pat->{'usenet'}, $pat->{'tag'});
}