| name | translate-transcript |
| description | Translate a transcript from its source language into a target language while preserving structure (paragraphs, subheadings, speaker labels, timestamps). Use when the user wants a transcript in another language — for sharing with someone who doesn't speak the source language, for publishing in a target market, or for review. |
Translate transcript
Translate a transcript file end-to-end while preserving every structural element. Source file is never modified — output is a new file with a language-suffix.
Inputs
- A transcript file (any stage:
.raw.md, .cleaned.md, .structured.md, etc.)
- Target language (ISO 639-1 code preferred —
en, he, es, fr, de, ar, etc.; full names also accepted)
- Source language is auto-detected unless overridden
Output convention
<stem>.<source-lang>-to-<target-lang>.md
Examples:
recording.structured.md → recording.structured.he-to-en.mdinterview.cleaned.md → interview.cleaned.en-to-es.md
If the source filename already encodes a stage (.cleaned.md), keep that stage suffix; the language suffix goes after.
Backend choice
| Backend | When |
|---|
| Claude (current session) | Default — high quality, preserves nuance, no extra config |
| Gemini via OpenRouter | When transcript is very long (cheaper at scale) and OPENROUTER_API_KEY is set |
| External MT API (DeepL, Google Translate) | Only on explicit request — generally lower quality for nuanced/idiomatic content |
Preserve, don't translate
These elements pass through unchanged:
- Markdown structure: headings, lists, blockquotes, code blocks, tables
- Timestamps:
[00:12:34]
- Speaker labels:
**Alice:**
- Inline code, URLs, file paths, technical identifiers
- Proper nouns (names, brands, places) — translate only if there's an established target-language form (e.g. "Jerusalem" / "ירושלים")
The italic source-attribution header stays in the source language and gains a translation note:
_Topic: …_
_Translated 2026-04-28: he → en, Claude_
Translation guidance
- Register: match the source's register. Casual voice memo → casual translation. Formal meeting transcript → formal.
- Idiom: translate idioms by meaning, not literally. Hebrew "על הפנים" → "terrible" / "awful", not "on the face".
- Hedging and filler: if the input is a
.cleaned.md (filler already removed), don't add filler back.
- Cultural references: keep the reference, but add a brief parenthetical gloss only if the target audience genuinely won't recognise it.
- Code-switched content: if the speaker switched languages mid-sentence (common in Hebrew-English mixed memos), translate the whole result into the target language rather than preserving the switch.
Long inputs
For transcripts > ~30 minutes / >10k words:
- Translate in chunks of ~2k words, overlapping by one paragraph for continuity
- Re-stitch chunks, removing the overlap from the second chunk
- Pass a glossary of recurring proper nouns / technical terms to each chunk for consistency
Output report
Source: transcripts/recording.structured.md (he, 4,820 words)
Target: transcripts/recording.structured.he-to-en.md (en, 4,610 words)
Backend: Claude
Glossary: 12 proper nouns held consistent
What not to do
- Don't summarise. Translation preserves length and content.
- Don't "improve" the source. If the speaker rambled, the translation rambles.
- Don't drop or merge speaker turns.
- Don't translate file paths, command names, or code — only natural-language content.
