This article explains how we translate posts and how does translator bot help us.

Table of content

1. Translation process
   • 1.1. New post comes to middle channel
   • 1.2. Translator starts translating
   • 1.3. Translator uses Machine translating (optional)
   • 1.4. Manual translating and/or fixing machine translation
   • 1.5. Sending the post to public channel
   • 1.6. Unidle
   • 1.7. What to do in case of any errors
2. What should be done during translation
   • 2.1. Vocabulary
   • 2.2. Formatting
   • 2.3. Hyperlinks
   • 2.4. Hashtags
   • 2.5. Image

1. Translation process

If you are a translator for a specific language (e.g., French), then you are:

1. Admin of the «fr (French) middle» channel with admin rights to send, edit and delete messages. (hereinafter referred to as the middle channel).
2. Member of the «fr editors» group (hereinafter referred to as the editors’ group). This group is linked to the middle channel, meaning that all posts from the middle channel are automatically forwarded to the editors’ group.

1.1. New post comes to middle channel

When new post appears in @tginfo, @tginfoen, @betainfo or @betainfoen channel then translator bot creates new post in your middle channel, and its copy is forwarded to editors’ group. We call it as initial post.

Some middle channels get new posts from @tginfo/@betainfo, while others get them from @tginfoen/@betainfoen. It depends on the translator bot settings and can be switched for every group.

Three buttons are added to initial post:

• Translate. This button forces bot to call Google Translation API: bot sends initial text there, gets the translation and tries to update initial post by this text. See partition «1.3. Translator uses machine translating (optional)».
• Send to Main Channel or Send to Beta Channel. This button sends the initial post to your main channel or to beta channel.
• Idle. This button shows to other translators of your language that you started the translation, so they won’t interrupt you and won’t do the same job as you are already doing. See partition «1.2. Translator starts translating».

1.2. Translator starts translating

When you are about to translate the initial message, please press the «Idle» button below the post.

This action switches the title of the button to “Idled by …” followed by your Telegram name. This allows other translators to see that the initial post is already being edited, preventing duplicate or redundant edits. Additionally, an idled post cannot be sent to the main or beta channel via the corresponding button. This serves as a protective measure.

1.3. Translator uses machine translating (optional)

You can (but you don’t have to!) use Google Translating service to create draft of translation. Tap «Translate» button for this.

One of two things may happen:

Translator bot tries to update initial post and to replace its text by translation:

• If bot succeeds, then he replies to the initial post by its original text.
• If bot does not, then he keeps initial post unchanged and replies to it by translation. In this case, please manually copy translated text from reply and put it into initial post by editing it.

Text from Google Translating often contains many duplicated spaces. So, «Translate» button title is switched to «Remove repeated spaces». Tap this button, and bot will replace all double spaces by single spaces.

1.4. Translator manually translates post and/or fixes machine translation

If you did not use machine translation or if you want to edit the machine-translated text, you should proceed with editing it. Please note that machine-translated text is rarely correct; it is typically plain text without any formatting (e.g., bold, quotations, etc.).

Make sure to carefully follow all steps outlined in section «2. What should be done during translation«.

1.5. Translator sends the post to public channel

Once you’ve completed translating the text, please press the «Send» button. This will prompt the translator bot to publish a copy of the initial post to the public channel of your language.

1.6. Translator unidles post

If you did not finish yet but need to pause your process, then please tap «Idled by…» button. This will switch it back to «Idle» and will tell other translators that you are not working with it at the moment.

1.7. What to do in case of any errors

Please ask in the «tginfo all languages» group. If no response is received within 60 minutes (and it is not nighttime in European timezones, kindly mention any admin there.

2. What should be done during translation

When you translate post text, please pay attention to the following points.

2.1. Vocabulary

1. When we translate UI elements name, then we always check them in app UI. If you can not check in app then try to find correct lines on https://translations.telegram.org.
2. If official Telegram blog has the article in needed language, then we check our vocabulary by that article.

2.2. Formatting

Please keep original formatting: bold, quotation, monospaced and so on. Machine translating often (or even always) remove all formatting from the text.

Title should always be bolded.

Pay attention to lists. If initial post contains list of items then translation should contain in too. We use » • » (dot between spaces) to mark every list item.

2.3. Hyperlinks

All hyperlinks referring to another earlier post should be replaced with the corresponding post on the branch instead of @tginfo/@tginfoen if the post referring to has been already translated.

2.4. Hashtags

Do not forget about hashtags: They should be translated correctly and, as a general rule, should match the hashtags from previous posts in the public channels of your language.

2.5. Image

Please do not forget to attach an image to your post if it is attached to the initial post.

2.5.1. Media compression

If you send an image from your device, Telegram apps compress it. This can sometimes lead to a loss of quality, especially when the image contains text captions. To prevent quality loss, you can send the image via Telegram Desktop by following these steps:

1. Open the side menu and click «Settings».
2. Go to «Advanced».
3. Scroll down and go to «Experimental settings».
4. Enable «Sending large photos».
5. Close the Telegram using Ctrl + Q and reopen it.

2.5.2. Too long captions

The length of media captions is limited to 1024 characters for regular users, and 4096 characters for Premium users. However, the translator bot can handle captions longer than 1024 characters to send posts to the channel. But it cannot edit captions longer than 1024 characters. If you do not have Premium, please follow these steps:

1. Ask @sominemo or @dbsergey in «tginfo all languages» group to upload needed image to tginfo.me storage and to give you the link.
2. Add a space at the end of your post title and make it hyperlink. Add URL from previous step to it.
3. Move media preview to the top of message (its default position is in the bottom).