python for everyday tasks

[Pavel Volkov]

On Saturday 23 November 2013 02:01:26 Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> * Python is not Java, and Java is not Python either:
> 
> http://dirtsimple.org/2004/12/python-is-not-java.html
> http://dirtsimple.org/2004/12/java-is-not-python-either.html

Thanks for all those references.
There's this statement in the first article:

"Got a switch statement? The Python translation is a hash table, not a bunch 
of if-then statments. Got a bunch of if-then's that wouldn't be a switch 
statement in Java because strings are involved? It's still a hash table. "

I can't figure out how would you translate a switch statement into hash table 
in general case.