This project provides a Zotero plugin to integrate PDF2zh, a powerful tool for translating PDF documents. It's designed for researchers and academics who frequently deal with foreign language papers and need to quickly understand their content. The plugin automates the translation process within Zotero, saving users significant time and effort.

How It Works

The plugin acts as an intermediary between Zotero and the PDF2zh command-line interface or its Dockerized version. Users configure translation parameters (source/target languages, translation engine, threads, output paths) within Zotero. When a PDF is selected, the plugin invokes PDF2zh, which performs the translation, potentially generating mono (target language only) and dual (source and target languages) output files. It also offers features to crop PDFs for single-column reading and create bilingual comparison views.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Installation: Install PDF2zh locally (pip install pdf2zh) or via Docker.
• Prerequisites: Python (3.10-3.12), PDF2zh v1.9.6 or later. Optional: Docker, specific translation API keys (e.g., DeepSeek, Zhipu AI).
• Setup: Local Python installation and PDF2zh setup can take a few minutes. Docker setup requires image building.
• Documentation: PDF2zh Config File

Highlighted Details

• Supports multiple translation engines including DeepSeek, Zhipu AI, and others via API keys.
• Offers PDF manipulation features: cropping to single-column and creating bilingual comparison views.
• Zotero settings allow customization of translation parameters and output file generation.
• Can be run via Python script or Docker/Docker Compose for flexible deployment.

Maintenance & Community

The project acknowledges contributions from Byaidu (PDF2zh) and windingwind (zotero-plugin-template). A TODO list indicates ongoing development, including UI progress indicators and exploring shared remote translation services. Users are encouraged to contribute via issues or code.

Licensing & Compatibility

The repository's license is not explicitly stated in the README. Compatibility for commercial use or closed-source linking would require clarification on the underlying PDF2zh and any translation service licenses.

Limitations & Caveats

The plugin currently only supports PDF2zh as the translation engine. The "dual column comparison" feature is primarily designed for dual-column PDFs; single-column PDFs may require additional configuration or manual steps for side-by-side viewing. Some advanced features like "Drop Last" (skipping references) are still in the TODO list.