Translation Alignment Workflow

How to align translated djot files against the MPI terms database.

When

After producing a first-pass translation, or when the user asks to check terminology. Any time a .dj file contains glossary-style {% "..." %} blocks with Chinese→English term pairs.

Steps

Read the full translated file. Extract all Chinese terms from {% "TERM" (pinyin) = ENGLISH ... %} blocks.
Start the search server: python3 $MPI_PROJECT_ROOT/toolkit/terms-database/server.py & (port 8910). It may already be running — check with curl -s http://localhost:8910/.
Batch-search each term via the HTTP API:
```
curl -s "http://localhost:8910/search?q=TERM&limit=5"
```
Prefer src=DoT定稿 filter for authoritative hits, but also check without filter to catch 内部特色词 and 佛教术语 entries.
For each term, compare the database en against the file's translation. A mismatch exists when the core term translation differs (ignore explanatory commentary in glossary blocks).
Priority order for which source to trust:
- DoT定稿 (highest authority — final translation decisions)
- 内部特色词 (MPI internal terminology)
- 佛教术语 (general Buddhist terms)
- 经论名 (sutra/shastra titles)
Apply fixes with patch tool. Fix BOTH the glossary comment AND all body-text occurrences. Use replace_all=true for terms that appear identically in multiple places.
After fixing, grep for remaining old forms to verify nothing was missed.

Pitfalls

Glossary blocks often include commentary after the term (pinyin, explanations). Compare only the core term translation, not the full comment.
Some terms appear in body text without glossary blocks — scan the body for domain terms too.
The search.py CLI does NOT support src: or loc: filter syntax directly; use the HTTP API or direct DuckDB queries instead.
Replace-all can create double articles ("the The Eight Steps...") when body text already has the article before the term. Check each replacement site.
Escaped quotes in patch old_string/new_string cause false "Escape-drift" errors. Use unescaped " characters from the actual file content.
Terms may have different translations in different contexts (e.g., standalone 心灯 = "lamp of awakening" vs compound 点亮心灯 = "illuminate one's heart"). Use the standalone form for glossary entries.
Sutra quote conventions (e.g., Diamond Sutra "lives" not "bodies" for 身体布施) are not always in the database. Apply standard English Buddhist idiom.

Example

Searching 三无漏学:

curl -s "http://localhost:8910/search?q=三无漏学&limit=5"
→ DoT定稿: "three uncontaminated forms of training"
→ Current file: "the three undefiled studies"
→ MISMATCH → fix

Report

After alignment, the user may ask for a report. Save it as alignment-report.dj in the project directory with:

Summary line (source breakdown)
Per-term before/after table with source annotation
"Not Changed" section listing terms checked and found acceptable

3.0 KiB Raw Blame History