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I would like to read texts (books, articles or any other kind of reading content) in interlinear translation (where a sentence, or segment of a sentence, is spatially positioned above its translation, and the text is read line by line with respect to its original language version and translated version), specifically in EPUB format, for the purpose of learning a second language by reading and having the translation of unknown words as seamlessly and conveniently available as possible, because I find interrupting the flow of reading to look up words in a dictionary to be less than optimal in terms of effort and speed.

Is there any resource (a book series, a website) where a diversity of interlinear-translated books in EPUB format are available?

julkarham
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  • As a speaker of four languages, I can guarantee this is not a good way to learn a new one. You have to learn the way a language works and translation won't show that as there are often several different translations of the same book or work. – Lambie Aug 24 '22 at 18:28

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You might like: http://authorsoft.com/cursor-translator.html Hover your mouse over the word to translate it into your own language.

Or https://readlang.com/iw/dashboard It also translates the word you hover your mouse over. I prefer it to authorsoft.

Neither is free, but both offer a free introductory period.

Bookaholic
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Dictionaries are difficult to use because they give generic definitions of words rather than the specific meanings & senses of words that are expressed in the texts that you're reading. Also, I think that automated translation services, e.g. Google Translate, & web interfaces that use such services to show definitions or translations when you roll the mouse over, typically do a poor job of translating/conveying the authors' intended meanings.

With that in mind, I recommend buying 2 copies of each book, one in your first language & the second in the target language. This way, you'll have expert translations of the most appropriate choices of words, phrasing, & expressions that best match what the author is conveying. It may be more difficult to switch between them than an automated translator or dictionary but I think the quality of the language learning you'll get out of it will be worth it. I also recommend reading texts more than once; first slowly & checking with the first language translation, then again hopefully checking with the translation less or not at all. Follow up with reading the text again the following day, & the following week (AKA "spaced repetition"). Multiple encounters with new words, phrases, & patterns ensures that you're more likely to remember & understand them when you encounter them in the future.

You can similarly switch between translations with video quite easily, since many DVDs, BluRays, & streaming video services offer translations in multiple languages.

I hope this helps! :)

matbury
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