Translate for Zotero

Translate for Zotero, a.k.a. Zotero PDF Translate, is a Zotero plugin.
Translate PDF, EPub, webpage, metadata, annotations, notes to the target language. Support 20+ translate services.

中文文档

Quick Start Guide

Install

For Zotero 6, install the latest stable version; For Zotero 7, install the latest prerelease version

From local file

• Download the latest release (.xpi file) from the Latest Release Page
  Note If you're using Firefox as your browser, right-click the .xpi and select "Save As.."
• In Zotero click Tools in the top menu bar and then click Addons
• Go to the Extensions page and then click the gear icon in the top right.
• Select Install Add-on from file.
• Browse to where you downloaded the .xpi file and select it.
• Restart Zotero, by clicking restart now in the extensions list where the Zotero PDF Translate plugin is now listed.

From remote link

• In Zotero click Tools in the top menu bar and then click Addons.
• Drag Latest Release and drop it in the Zotero UI.
• Click install now.
• Restart Zotero, by clicking restart now in the extensions list where the Zotero PDF Translate plugin is now listed.

Usage

Once you have the plugin installed simply, open any PDF in your collections.

• Select some text, the translations are shown on the popup and the right sidebar(v0.2.0); Hold Alt/Option to concat selections.

• Highlight some text, the translations are added to the annotation comment(v0.3.0); Modify & retranslate the annotation text in the sidebar and click the Update Annotation to modify the annotation text and translation(v0.6.6);

• Add selected text along with translation to note(v0.4.0); Only works when a note editor is active.

• Translate item titles with right-click menu or shortcut Ctrl+T(v0.6.0).

• Translate item abstract with right-click menu(v0.8.0). Thanks @iShareStuff

• Standalone translation window available(v0.7.0). View & compare translations from multiply engines in one window!

• Dictionary for single word translation(v0.7.1).

• SentenceBySentence Translation(v1.1.0). After a translation, press shift+P and select Translate Sentences. Only for en2zh and en2en now. Thanks @MuiseDestiny

Q&A

Q I want to translate manually.
A Go to Edit->Preferences->PDF Translate->General, uncheck the Automatic Translation. Click the translate button on the popup or sidebar to translate.

Q I want a translate shortcut.
A Press shortcut Ctrl+T after you selected some text. If you are in the collection view, the titles' translation will show/hide.

Q I want to concat different seletions and translate them together.
A Press Alt/Option when selecting text in PDF.

Q Not the language I want.
A The default target language is the same as your Zotero language. Go to Edit->Preferences->PDF Translate->General and change the language settings.

Q Translation not correct or report an error.
A See Language Settings and #6. Make sure you use the right secret.

Q I want to change the font size.
A Go to Edit->Preferences->PDF Translate->Advanced and set the font size.

Settings

General

• Enable Translation, default true
• Automatic Translation, default true
• Enable Dictionary: single word will be translated using dictionary-engine instead of translate engine, default true
• Enable Popup: Show results in a right-click popup or only in the sidebar, default true
• Automatic Annotation Translation: Save annotation's translation as comment, default true
• Show 'Add to Note(With Translation)' in Popup: default true

  Unvisible if no active note editor opened.

  • Replace Source Text: Use translation to replace the source text when adding to note, default false

Service

The default engine is Google Translate. Currently, we support:

If the engine you want is not yet supported, please post an issue.

Google Google does not require a secret, but you can put your own API URL in the secret to replace the default URL (translate.google.com/translate.googleapi.com).

Microsoft Translate
Apply here. Copy your secret and paste it into the settings.
The secret format is MY_SECRET.

See this issue for detailed steps to set up the Microsoft Translate.

DeepL Translate
Apply here. The secret format is secretToken or secretToken#glossaryId (if you want to specify some translate glossary).

Youdao Zhiyun Translate 有道智云
Apply here.
The secret format is MY_APPID#MY_SECRET#MY_VOCABID(optional).

About VOCABID
登录控制台，选择文本翻译服务，点击右侧的术语表，选择新建，填写表名称和语言方向，添加需要的术语表，然后获取对应词表 id 即可。

Official Document

NiuTrans
Apply here.
The secret format is MY_APIKEY#dictNo(optional)#memoryNo(optional).

Chinese Document

Aliyun Translate Apply here. The secret format is accessKeyId#accessKeySecret.

Chinere Document

Baidu Translate
Apply here.
The secret format is MY_APPID#MY_KEY#ACTION(optional, see https://api.fanyi.baidu.com/doc/21, default 0)(split with '#').

Baidu Field Translate 百度垂直领域翻译
Apply here.
The secret format is MY_APPID#MY_KEY#DOMAIN_CODE(split with '#').

Chinese Document

Tencent Translate
Apply here.
The secret format is secretId#SecretKey#Region(optional, default ap-shanghai)#ProjectId(optional, default 0)(split with '#').

Chinese Document

OpenL Translate
Apply here.
The secret format is service1,service2,...#apikey(split with '#'; split service codes with ',').

Supported service codes are: deepl,youdao,tencent,aliyun,baidu,caiyun,wechat,sogou,azure,ibm,aws,google, See Service Code

Chinese Document

GPT
Apply here.
The secret format is sk-#SecretKey(split with '#').

Chinese Document

User Interface

• Font Size: The font size of result text, default 12
• Line Height: The line height of result text, default 1.5
• SideBar: Show xxx: Show or hide sidebar elements, default true
• SideBar: Reverse Raw/Result: Reverse the order of Raw/Result in the sidebar if true, default false
• Popup: Remember Size: Remember size of popup if true, else automatically adjust the size, default false

Advanced

• Disable Automatic Translation when File Language is(split with ','): If you want to disable automatic translation in zh and ja files, set zh,ja.
• Split Character(between text and translation): When translating annotations, the result will be wrapped inside this character to allow safe re-translate. If set to empty, re-translating annotations will replace the annotation comment with the new translate result.

Development & Contributing

This addon is built based on the Zotero Plugin Template. See the setup and debug details there.

To startup, run

git clone https://github.com/windingwind/zotero-pdf-translate.git
cd zotero-pdf-translate
npm install
npm run build

The plugin is built to ./build/*.xpi.

Contributing

Add new translate service

1. Add service config to src/utils/config.ts > SERVICES;
2. Add translation task processor under src/modules/services/${serviceId}.ts with the same format with other services. The export function set the translation result to data.result if runs successfully and throw an error if fails;
3. Import the task processor function in src/modules/services/index.ts.
4. Add locale string service.${serviceId} in addon/chrome/locale/${lang}/addon.properties.
5. Build and test.

Extra options for translate service

If the service requires extra options, the minimal implement would be putting them in the secret input in the prefs window, like the existing services does.

If there are complex options, please bind a callback in src/modules/settings/index.ts > secretStatusButtonData which create a highly customizable dialog window with ztoolkit.Dialog. See the example of NiuTrans login here: https://github.com/windingwind/zotero-pdf-translate/blob/main/src/modules/settings/niutrans.ts

Disclaimer

Use this code under AGPL. No warranties are provided. Keep the laws of your locality in mind!

My Other Zotero Addons

• Better Notes: Everything about note management. All in Zotero.
• Preview: PDF preview for Zotero
• Actions & Tags: Automatically tag items/Batch tagging

Sponsors

Thanks peachgirl100 and other anonymous sponsors!

If you want to leave your name here, please email me or leave a message with the donation.

Contributors