How to translate English LaTeX source code package into Chinese and retain typesetting

Key points of this article

When translating LaTeX, upload the compressed package of the entire project. Do not select just one .tex file, otherwise images, .bib and custom macros may be missing.
Confirm locally that the main file can be compiled before uploading. Compilation errors are more difficult to verify after the source code is translated.
Choose an academic style and decide whether to use bilingual comparison or translation only, depending on the purpose.
After getting the results, focus on checking the consistency of formulas, chart numbers, cross-references and terminology.
Machine translation may make mistakes, and important content needs to be manually confirmed by comparing it with the original text before submission or citation.

Many people only have LaTeX source code for English papers in their hands and no ready-made PDF, or they want to translate other people's LaTeX manuscripts into Chinese and then continue to modify them. Directly copying the English in the .tex file and then handing it over to the translation tool will often mess up the \cite, \ref, formula, and table commands. The translated text cannot be compiled, and the typesetting is also off-kilter. If you are looking for a way to write a paper online in latex, or want to make an English LaTeX paper into a Chinese version, this article will explain the entire process clearly.

The focus of this article is the source code package itself: instead of just translating the PDF, the entire LaTeX project is handed over to OmniDoc, allowing the translation to retain the typesetting structure, formulas, and charts. After reading, you can judge which method you should use, know what to check before uploading, and quickly find out what needs to be modified after getting the results.

How to translate the LaTeX source code package into Chinese? One sentence conclusion

Directly upload the entire package of LaTeX source code, select the academic style, and then select bilingual comparison or translation only according to the purpose. It can preserve the layout and formula structure better than translating only the PDF. Once you have your results, just check formulas, references, and terminology item by item.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
I just want to understand the original text, no need to revise it	bilingual comparison	Left and right comparison makes it easy to check formulas and terms
I want to make a Chinese version, and I will continue to revise it later.	Translation only, then use UniDoc web editor (app.unidoc.top) to adjust	The layout is cleaner and easier to edit later.
Only PDF, no .tex file on hand	Directly upload PDF translations	If the source code does not exist, you can only start with the layout file.
Lots of formulas, diagrams, and cross-references	Upload source code package	The numbering and reference structure are retained in the source code, which provides more basis for verification.
The project contains a large number of custom macros or macro packages	First repair it locally until it can be compiled, and then upload it.	The project structure that can be compiled is complete, and the translation is easier to align with the original text.

Before you start: First, confirm these points

Spending a few minutes checking before starting can help avoid repeated rework later.

Confirm the master file. The main file is a .tex file containing the \documentclass command, usually only one. If you can't find it, the system can't determine where the project started, and the chapter order of the translation may get messed up.
Check whether the project is complete. Check the subfiles referenced by \input, \include, images, .bib reference files, as well as .sty, . Are all the CLS style files in the directory? If even one is missing, the figures or references in the translation will be missing.
First compile locally. If PDF source code can be generated normally, it means the structure is not broken. Where translation errors occur, problems often arise after translation, making it hard to distinguish whether the translation is caused by the translation or the source code itself.
Clean up compilation products. .aux, . log, . Intermediate files like 'out' don't help with translation; deleting them can make the compressed file cleaner. Whether to keep the old PDF is up to you; it is only for comparison and does not affect translation.
Confirm your authority to handle this manuscript. Only translate your own manuscript, manuscripts agreed to be shared by collaborators, or materials that have been authorized.

Steps to translate the entire LaTeX source code package in OmniDoc

Organize the project directory, ensure the main .tex files can be compiled locally, and clean up irrelevant intermediate files.
Package the entire project directory into a compressed file, keeping the subdirectory structure; don't just pick a single .tex.
Open the omnidoc.top, upload the compressed package, and select the LaTeX source code package as the file type. If you prefer desktop applications, you can also download desktop clients from download.omnidoc.top (supports Windows, macOS, and Linux).
Choose a document style. Papers use academic style, paying more attention to terminology and sentence structures.
Select the output method. Select bilingual when left-right comparison is needed; select translation only when using Chinese translation.
Submit the task and wait for the process to complete. Longer papers will take longer, so you can start with other things.
Download the results, starting from Chapter 1, paragraph by paragraph in the original text, focusing on formulas, charts, and references.
If you need to revise, you can open the translation in the UniDoc web editor (app.unidoc.top) to continue editing. It supports round-trip editing with LaTeX.

After completion, check each item one by one

Once the translation is completed, don't treat it as the final version. Check the checklist below, and the problem can usually be found within a dozen minutes.

Inspection items	How to see it	What should you do if there's a problem?
Formula	The quantity matches the original, the numbering is continuous, and the subscript and rational expressions are not misaligned	Correct it against the original PDF and check the text explanations in the formula separately
Chart	Every chart and table is present, and the title and title have been translated into Chinese	If the image is missing, check the image path in the compressed package back, fix it, and resubmit it
Citation and cross-reference	"Figure 1," "Table 2," "Section 3," and reference numbers correspond to the main text	Find the broken reference and check whether the \label and \ref in the source code are complete
Terminology	The same term is translated consistently and the technical term has a basis	Create a terminology list with unified text replacement, and key terms should be based on the original text
Numbers and units	Values, units, decimal points, and percent signs remain unchanged	Compare the original text carefully, and prioritize correcting errors in numbers and units
Chapter structure	The title hierarchy and table of contents order are consistent with the original text	Compare the chapter list in the original text to fill in missing sections

Both machine translation and OCR results can contain errors, especially in technical terms, negative sentences, and long sentences. For conclusions, data, and referenced content, please be sure to verify sentence by sentence with the original before deciding whether to use it.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. If you only have PDF and no LaTeX source code, can you keep the formatting?

It can translate PDFs and upload scanned versions directly. However, the level of reproduction of layouts and formulas is usually not as good as that of the source code package, so it takes more time to verify them. If you can find the author's source code, prioritize using the source code package.

2. If there are custom macros or style files in the project, will it affect translation?

It's possible. First, compil locally, confirm that macros and style files can be found, then package and upload them. For projects that fail compilation, it becomes harder to align the translated layout with the original text.

3. Why have the formulas in the translation basically remained unchanged?

Formulas are usually kept as they are, to avoid compromising mathematical expressions. Textual explanations and variable annotations in formulas may need manual adjustment, so pay special attention to these parts when verifying.

4. After translating into Chinese, can it be submitted directly as a Chinese paper?

Direct submission is not recommended. The translation is more suitable as a draft or revision starting point for the Chinese version. Before submitting, you should also adjust according to the template of the target journal or conference and the formatting requirements of the recipient, and have the full text manually verified.

📝 Summary

When translating English LaTeX papers, the key is to upload the entire package of source code, first ensure the project can be compiled, and then select the output method according to the intended use. After receiving the translation, take the time to check formulas, citations, and terminology to obtain a usable Chinese version.

Open OmniDoc to edit, convert, or translate your LaTeX documents