Translation Backends
| Backend | Quality | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Translate | Good | Fast | Free |
| DeepL | Excellent | Fast | Free tier available |
| OpenAI (GPT-4o) | Excellent | Moderate | API cost |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Excellent | Moderate | API cost |
| Ollama (local) | Good | Depends on GPU | Free |
| Azure Translate | Good | Fast | Free tier |
What Gets Preserved
- Math formulas — LaTeX equations rendered correctly in output
- Charts and figures — untouched, positioned correctly
- Tables — structure preserved, text translated
- References and citations — formatting maintained
- Page layout — columns, margins, headers/footers kept
- Hyperlinks — clickable links preserved
Zotero Integration
Install the Zotero plugin from GitHub Releases. Right-click any PDF in your Zotero library → "Translate with pdf2zh". Translated PDF appears alongside the original.
Output Options
- Dual-column PDF — original + translation side by side
- Translated PDF — clean translated version only
- Bilingual mode — original text with translation below each paragraph