Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

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RevSteve
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:45 am

Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

Post by RevSteve »

One little program I have used is called QTranslate which can do all sorts of things among which is using Google translate or Bing or others although I generally use the Google Translate.
You can find it at its homepage, look for QTranslate along with quest-app.appspot(dot c o m) in search engine.
There is a full install model as well as a portable version available.
It appears to work only on the Windows platform.
Brief instructions for use:
After initializing the program, an icon should appear in system tray, if not, customize settings to "Show icon and notifications" for QTranslate.
While the online translation service is on, the icon should be green inside like so.
Cap tray on.JPG
Cap tray on.JPG (8.96 KiB) Viewed 3733 times
To disable online translation service, left click the tray icon and it will appear like so.
Cap tray off.JPG
Cap tray off.JPG (9.27 KiB) Viewed 3733 times
To adjust various settings in program, right click the tray icon and click "Options".
You will see inder this tab shown below, I changed the shorcut key to "/" for :Show dictionary window" but you can leave it default or change the shorcut key(s) to your preference.
Cap options.JPG
Cap options.JPG (42.77 KiB) Viewed 3733 times
Another preference that I chose is under "Appearance" and selected "Disabled" for Auto-hide delay.
RevSteve
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:45 am

Re: Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

Post by RevSteve »

To access Program window that shows adjustment for languages input and output, right click tray icon and click "QTranslate" at very top.
Cap trans window.JPG
Cap trans window.JPG (29.23 KiB) Viewed 3730 times
One comment about this shown above is that it is better to manually select the specific language rather than use the auto-detect.
It is neccessary to pick one of the Translators by clicking on one of them at the bottom of window, the same is true for Dictionary function.
Clicking the right top 3 dot button I have the Instant translation checked, that is my preference.
Both Translation and the Dictionary window sizes as well as positions on screen can be adjusted by the user to whatever is desired.

For manual access to Dictionary window, right click tray icon and click "Dictionary".
Cap Dict Span multianswer.JPG
Cap Dict Span multianswer.JPG (40.25 KiB) Viewed 3730 times
Under the 3 dot button top right Dictionary mode, there is a setting "Exact search" which I had unchecked and the Dictionary will do a fuzzy search if it can't find the exact match, which may be useful for finding like words as shown in the above picture.
Generally speaking, use of Dictionary mode involves hightlighting one unit (or word).

One can highlight text in most software, including browsers but also text editors and it happens to work well in theWord program for a translation.
One can select whole sentences, multiple sentences or only a phrase or one word for different effects.
Cap Spanish1.JPG
Cap Spanish1.JPG (43.1 KiB) Viewed 3730 times
RevSteve
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:45 am

Re: Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

Post by RevSteve »

Be aware though that Google Translaate and perhaps some of the other online translators, if you highlight a bible verse and it figures out that it is in fact a bible verse will sometimes "cheat" and so the return will be a parallel bible verse of your chosen language.
It generally won't do that if you are only selecting a partial verse, phrase or a word.

My reason for introducing this little app is with the prospect of providing both an auxilliary helper in both theWord and providing a shortcut for accessing added information while using a text editor for developing modules and/ or multi-languages study, sermon and study notes.
Here is a capture of a Latin to English translation in theWord in book view, this happens to be Lange Commentary.
Cap Lange Latin2nd.JPG
Cap Lange Latin2nd.JPG (59.62 KiB) Viewed 3729 times
As should be noted, it isn't a very polished translation but Latin is difficult for CAT applications and generally speaking, computer language technologies work better with modern languages...and the Bible is further classified as an "Historic" document which complicates matters somewhat.
However don't assume because it isn't always 100% correct that it is not a very useful tool...that is a mistake imo...especially if you read on further about other functions.

Another feature with this software is that dictionaries can be downloaded and installed (locally..that is without a need for internet) for use in the program.
This feature is generally confined to getting a definition for a single unit, such as a word but may not be strictly limited to this.
There is quite a large selection of dictionaries, including bi-language dictionaries, such as Spanish/English, etc.
However, there is a wide range of quality among these dictionary files.
For Dictionary function, I turn off the online access...so the online translator is not activated.

The significance of the dictionary function of Qtranslate cannot be overstated since if the contained information is accurate, accurate results are assured.
It is possible for most anyone with text editor and minimal regex skills to create their own Dictionaries.
For instance, I have made my own Latin, Spanish, Strongs dictionaries for QTranslate.
From the above Latin translation example in book view, Lange Commentary, I have these results to come up for a couple of those words in Dictionary mode.
Cap Dict Latin Lange.JPG
Cap Dict Latin Lange.JPG (82.37 KiB) Viewed 3729 times
Cap Latin Lange 2nd.JPG
Cap Latin Lange 2nd.JPG (42.95 KiB) Viewed 3729 times
You will notice that in the first of the pictures above that even though my own built dictionary didn't have the contained word, it found several closely spelled words.
This is due to the previously mentioned of turning off the Exact match setting.
RevSteve
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:45 am

Re: Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

Post by RevSteve »

Making a dictionary and using QTranslate in a text editor:

Since the online translator function should work the same in a text editor as in theWord, I will forego any further discussion concerning that function.
I have decided the easiest way to explain how to make one's own dictionary is simply to modify an existing Dictionary available for QTranslate.
So download at least one Dictionary from the Qtranslate webpage.
Here are a couple of more pictures of Dictionary function in use with my custom Dictionaries.
Cap verse list.JPG
Cap verse list.JPG (57.52 KiB) Viewed 3729 times
Cap Strongs.JPG
Cap Strongs.JPG (53 KiB) Viewed 3729 times
First picture I actually took the New Testament put it into the dictionary form, I am unsure how useful this is but just a showing of some things that can be done.
Second picture of course is a Dodson Greek NT Strongs numbers.
I believe this is very useful in retreaving Strongs definitions on the fly.

Format of Qtranslate Dictionary overview:
Easiest way to make a custom dictionary is to modify an existing dictionary.
This works for me, I save a dictionary that I want to put into QTranslate form using UTF8 without BOM with "LF" endings, commonly called "Unix" in EOL settings in Notepad++.
The modified header of my Strongs Dictionary above looks like this for QTranslate.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE xdxf SYSTEM "http://xdxf.sourceforge.net/xdxf_lousy.dtd">
<xdxf lang_from="ENG" lang_to="ENG" format="visual">
<full_name>Strongs</full_name>
<description>Copyright: no copyright</description>

And be sure to Keep the very last line of the file as shown here.
</xdxf>

So you can delete out all the other contents of downloaded dictionary.
After you have prepared your own dictionary material--
Here is the format for the Titles: <ar><k>WG2</k>
So whatever one's imagination can put in titles there. <ar><k>word</k>
Now right before the title line in the preceding line (except the 1st title)
The following tag needs to be at the end of line: </ar>

So it will be:
<ar><k>word</k>
blah blah blah
however many lines
one needs though there may be a limit but I haven't hit it to my knowledge</ar>
<ar><k>nextword</k>
So I leave the very last line of the file as is already found there</ar>
</xdxf>

So one can copy and paste his dictionary material into the original Dictionary
I save the changes in Notepad++ without changing the format or anything else.
The last change is to rename the file manually to whatever one wants as was named in header.
Then inside QTranslate (Options) (Services) (Add Dictionary) and navigate to your dictionary file and have it to install it.

QTranslate works in theWord (both Bible and Book view),Notepad++, Libreoffice and Calc, likely will work in many... though in some Softwares it may not work.

I hope this will help you with your studies and projects.
Dodson Greek here
Strongs dict.zip
(161.48 KiB) Downloaded 312 times
.
Last edited by RevSteve on Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
RevSteve
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:45 am

Re: Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

Post by RevSteve »

nt.
Last edited by RevSteve on Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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JG
Posts: 4598
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:34 pm

Re: Helper Program for Translation and Definitions prt1

Post by JG »

Thanks for putting this up Steve.
I think it is as useful as one makes it. I like the ability to make your own dictionary files with whatever content is needed.
Let's just be careful of what we share on the forum as regards anything that is copyright and we will be ok.
I like the translate on the fly of languages. Some older works do have some Latin phrases that I would normally have to go through the process of copy paste to Google translate, so having this close to hand is a saving of time and having to have a browser open.
Jon
the
Word 6 Bible Software
OS for testing; Windows 10
Beta Download ------Beta Setup Guide------On-line Manual------Tech doc's and Utilities------Copyright Factsheet
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