A Mac window setup for translators
Source text, your translation, dictionaries and term bases. A layout that keeps the source and target side by side and the references one move away.
Keep the source and target side by side, at half width each, so your eyes move straight across. Dictionaries and term bases go beside them, not on top.
A layout to start from
| Column | Width | Holds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half | Source document |
| 2 | Half | Translation |
| 3 | A third | Dictionary |
| 4 | A third | Term base or glossary |
| 5 | A third | Client email and brief |
Tips
- If your translation tool shows source and target in one window, give it two thirds and references a third.
- Look up words from the keyboard: ⌃ ⌘ D shows the macOS dictionary for the word under the pointer.
- Jump to references by place: ⌃ ⌥ 3 and ⌃ ⌥ 4 in ClutterFreeMac.
Questions
What is a good screen layout for translation?
Source and target side by side at half width each, with dictionaries and term bases one step away.
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