Translating Japanese instructions

[wyatt]

This seemed like the right place.(?)
I have some model kit instructions in Japanese, I scanned a page and saved it as a PDF file. When I copy and paste a section into Google translate it displays in complete nonsense. The searches I've done mention something about ANSI and UNICODE.
The document opens fine in Adobe Reader and displays the Japanese text correctly.
Anybody have suggestions on the best way to accomplish this?

Thanks,

wyatt

[Rubenandres77]

Instead of creating a PDF, I use directly a OCR software to extract text from the scanned page (JPG), and then I copy the text into Google Translate.
Creating a pdf from image can cause the encoding problems you found.

[wyatt]

Thank you Ruben. I'm a bit computer illiterate, what is OCR software?

[Rubenandres77]

Originally Posted by wyatt

Thank you Ruben. I'm a bit computer illiterate, what is OCR software?

It is optical character recognition.

There are some free software, and you can even find ocr services on the web with varying quality and results.

I use the one that came with my scanner. Is called Abby Fine Reader. It yields great results.

[wyatt]

Excellent, thank you again Ruben.

[jaffro]

I'm not sure if it does Japanese properly or not, but there's google translate app you can download to a smartphone, it can translate directly from a photo.

Somebody on here recommended it to me and I've been using it to translate polish instructions, it's brilliant. You just take a photo of the text and highlight the text you want translated.

[SCEtoAUX]

If you can get a picture of the instructions in question and save the picture to your hard drive you can upload to one of the following websites to convert the characters to text through OCR. Choose the input language which is the language of the words you are trying to translate.

https://www.onlineocr.net/

https://www.newocr.com/

You can then copy and paste the text to a translator.

There is another website that will translate and sort of preserve the layout of the pdf, but the text in the pdf has to be actual characters and not a graphic.

https://www.onlinedoctranslator.com/

I have had mixed results with this site.

[Don Boose]

Because of the nature of the language and the multiple pronunciations for the kanji (ideographic characters), translation of Japanese for a non-native speaker is a challenge, even if you can get the kanji into a form that you can plug into a translator.

I studied Japanese in college, lived in Japan for several years 30 years ago, and have a rudimentary knowledge of the language. I can use a character dictionary and can transcribe (slowly) the kanji into Google Translate. Nonetheless, sometimes I am stymied.

Recently, I have been slowly working my way through the instructions for the Tokyo Scale Model Club Fuji T-3 (ƒ_ƒEƒ“ƒ[ƒh‚̃y[ƒW new from tsmc Fuji-T-3 1/48).

Most of it is straightforward, like "胴体と主翼の結合 = Fuselage and main wing assembly."

But I have been struggling with the notation for part 8, the nose reinforcement: 胴体と前から見た図 ; 前端は逆おむすび形 , which Google Translate tells me means "View from the body and before; Front end is reverse type."

After much contemplation and working through the various elements of the sentence; I have tentatively concluded that it means something like "Fuselage viewed from the front; front end has a reverse shape."

In the past, I would at this point call on Yu Gyokubun, but he has not posted for a long time, so I no longer have a Japanese-speaking friend active in the Forum. I DO have local Japanese-speaking friends, but do not like to trouble them too frequently with this sort of thing.

So, I applaud your endeavor, but be prepared for some inscrutability. Remember, in August 1945, after Japan had been totally devastated, the Emperor informed his people that "the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage." (https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/hirohito.htm)

Best wishes and 頑張ってください。

Don

[wyatt]

Thank you Jaffro, Doug and Don.

Jaffro - the app you mention is probably OCR based and it uses Google translate. So the sites Doug mentions are the same. Thank you for your reply, every bit helps.

Doug - I gave those sites a try and they worked in letting me copy/paste the Japanese text correctly into Google translate. But, as Don mentions, the results were somewhat helpful, mostly confusing to humorous. As an example:

'Do not attach adhesive.
Month stupidity country - Designated number · Assemble similar things.
Attach the adhesive here C'

This was from the page that explains the symbols used in construction of the model. Thank you for the links Doug.

Don - thank you for your input. You've expressed it perfectly. There are 51 pages of build instructions, 60 in total, so this would be a very daunting task. I envy you having lived there. I've been there twice and spent 18 days each time (1991 &1992) and absolutely love the country. As you know, it is 'Heaven' to a model builder.

For those curious, the model is the Aoshima 1/45 DD 51 diesel locomotive. An amazing kit in detail and quality (I know, it's not paper, sorry). Up front, it may or may not get built.

Still open to other suggestions. Thank you all for your help.

wyatt

[SCEtoAUX]

Wyat, I have found that repeated translations give different results. Sometimes the translation makes sense, sometimes it does not.

I have also found that copying sections of the characters in the photo then processing them through OCR sometimes gives better results. Try comparing the characters in what the pdf gives you with what the OCR presents and see if they are the same. They differ sometimes and the resulting translation can be quite head scratching.