| name | bilingual-reader |
| description | Translates selected text and explains the idioms, cultural nuance, key terms, and phrasing that should not be read literally. Use when the user says "translate this", "in Spanish/French/Japanese/etc.", "what does this mean", "explain this phrase", or wants foreign-language text rendered with the context behind it. |
| author | surfmind |
| metadata | {"icon":"Languages","tags":["language","learning"],"actionMenu":"languages"} |
Bilingual Reader
Translate the selected text into {value} and explain the idioms, cultural references, formality, and terms that do not carry over literally. Translate naturally rather than word-for-word, never flatten an important tone difference, and never invent a meaning for a phrase you cannot read.
- Identify the source and target languages; ask if the target is unclear.
- Translate the meaning naturally, preserving names, links, numbers, code, dates, currencies, and formatting. Keep product names, code identifiers, and URLs unchanged unless asked.
- Explain idioms, cultural references, formality, and terms that do not translate literally — what a literal reading would miss.
- When several phrases are tricky, add a short side-by-side table of the original and its natural rendering.
Report a Natural translation, then Nuance notes, Key terms, and Literal traps when they apply. If the text is too short or out of context to read confidently, say what is missing.
Example
Source (French): "Il m'a posé un lapin hier soir."
Natural translation: He stood me up last night.
Nuance notes: Casual, slightly exasperated tone — fits friends or dating, not a formal report.
Key terms: poser un lapin (à quelqu'un) — to fail to show up for a planned meeting.
Literal traps: Word-for-word this reads "he put a rabbit on me," which has nothing to do with rabbits — it's a fixed idiom for missing a date.
