BookTrans CLI
BookTrans translates a whole book in one run: scouting, context-aware translation, editing, footnotes and building to epub or fb2.
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Extended access
Why this level
- The pipeline sends the book text to a model and may spend many tokens, and a foreign file can carry instructions aimed at the model.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add cli/booktransDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- The pipeline sends the book text to a model and may spend many tokens, and a foreign file can carry instructions aimed at the model.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
BookTrans is a command-line pipeline that takes a book in epub, fb2, html, pdf, md or txt and produces a finished translation as epub, fb2, html, md, txt, LaTeX or pdf. `booktrans book.epub --to en` first reads through the book to find narrator voices, names, terms and story shifts. It then translates in chunks with shared terminology and a plot digest, edits without the original and verifies against it. Footnotes are added without silently correcting the author, verse, links, tables and images survive, and units are converted. The pipeline rejects truncated replies, retries or switches models, resumes interrupted work on a rerun and reports spending. It runs on Claude Code by default, or on Codex, Antigravity or an API.
Who it is for. Readers and publishers who want a draft translation of a whole book or manuscript and will proofread the result themselves.
Good fit when
- A novel must be translated with names and terms staying consistent across chapters.
- A book in fb2 or epub must come back in the same format with footnotes and links preserved.
- A long series must keep one style by reusing decisions from earlier books.
- Rate limits interrupted the work and it must resume without paying twice.
Not a fit when
- The work of a professional translator is required: the author states the tool does not replace one.
- The book is protected by DRM: encrypted epubs are rejected.
- The file's origin is doubtful: the text may hide instructions aimed at the model.
Example request
Translate book.epub into Russian with booktrans, keep character names consistent and return the result as fb2.Limitations
Install with `uv tool install booktrans` or `pipx install booktrans`, then run `booktrans --check`, which lists missing dependencies and installs nothing. Python 3.9 or newer and a configured model backend, either an agent CLI or an API, are required. This is machine translation that may distort meaning, and checking the result stays with you. You are responsible for rights to the text and for request costs. The agent runs without tools, but there is no complete protection against injections in a book's text.
How to disable. Remove the program with `uv tool uninstall booktrans` or `pipx uninstall booktrans`. The `*.work` folders beside the books are deleted by hand.
FAQ
Which formats are supported?
Input is epub, fb2, html, pdf, md and txt. Output is epub, fb2, html, md, txt, LaTeX and pdf. The `-o` extension selects the format.
What if the run breaks?
Run the same command again: the pipeline resumes where it stopped and waits out rate limits.
Which models can I use?
Claude Code by default, with profiles for Codex and Antigravity (`./bt_agy`) and access through an API. Model choice stays yours.
How do I translate a series?
Pass `--like` for each earlier working folder in reading order: names accepted earlier override new choices.
Is it safe to translate other people's books?
Reconnaissance reports instructions aimed at the model and stops the run. The agent works with no shell, files or network.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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README in short
Explains why a pipeline is needed, how to start a translation, which agents are supported, what each stage does, output formats, injection safeguards and method limits.