Is this useful software for subtitle translations?
Thread poster: DJCommie
DJCommie
DJCommie
Germany
Dec 31, 2020

Hello translators! I stumbled upon the topic of subtitle translations while making YouTube videos with my wife. Our videos are in English but we wanted to do Turkish subtitles. This was quite painful for my wife to translate, so being a software engineer, I made a few programs that really sped up her translation and I am wondering if this can be useful for you.

This is our workflow:
1. YouTube autogenerates text from voice
2. I download the .srt file (with correct timing
... See more
Hello translators! I stumbled upon the topic of subtitle translations while making YouTube videos with my wife. Our videos are in English but we wanted to do Turkish subtitles. This was quite painful for my wife to translate, so being a software engineer, I made a few programs that really sped up her translation and I am wondering if this can be useful for you.

This is our workflow:
1. YouTube autogenerates text from voice
2. I download the .srt file (with correct timings) and correct it for grammar, punctuation etc... to create a correct English sub file (template?)
3. I use my program to extract all the sentences to a text file
4. My wife translates the text file (with help of Google, Yandex) and produces a text file of Turkish sentences that match 1-1 with original English sentences
5. I use my program to generate a new .srt file with Turkish subs based on original English .srt timings
6. I use my program to modify .srt file to display two lines at a time instead of one

To summarize:
YouTube voice to text -> English .srt -> English sentences -> Turkish sentences -> Turkish .srt

My question is then, would a software that extracts sentences from subtitle files and is capable of generating new .srt files with translated sentences based on original .srt timings be useful? From my point of view, this really simplifies the translator's job since all you need to worry is translating the sentences and not worry about the semantics or timings of the .srt format. However, I would really like to get the opinion of professionals

Perhaps you can also let me know what are the biggest pain points in producing translated subtitles and how technology can potentially help you.

Thanks!

Alex
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Sarper Aman
Sarper Aman  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 22:42
Member (2019)
English to Turkish
+ ...
Re: Jan 2, 2021

would a software that extracts sentences from subtitle files and is capable of generating new .srt files with translated sentences based on original .srt timings be useful?



Hi, there are many softwares which does that. Am I missing something?


 
esperantisto
esperantisto  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:42
Member (2006)
English to Russian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Any CAT tool Jan 2, 2021

I think, any modern CAT tool can handle SRT files. Example: OmegaT.

 
Mr. Satan (X)
Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
Subtitles Jan 10, 2021

esperantisto wrote:

I think, any modern CAT tool can handle SRT files. Example: OmegaT.


They can, but they don't have CPL/CPS indicators.

@OP
A subtitle software that can extract hardsubs from MP4 videos complete with time-codes would help me tremendously. I know it's impossible but still.


 
Yaotl Altan
Yaotl Altan  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 13:42
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Target language Jan 12, 2021

DJCommie wrote:

...
4. My wife translates the text file (with help of Google, Yandex) and produces a text file of Turkish sentences that match 1-1 with original English sentences
...

Alex


Hi, Alex:

Does your wife translate the text file without knowledge of the target language? (and so she needs Google to do it?)


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 20:42
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Novian Jan 12, 2021

Novian Cahyadi wrote:
esperantisto wrote:
I think, any modern CAT tool can handle SRT files.

They can, but they don't have CPL/CPS indicators.


I assume you mean characters per line or characters per second. In some generic CAT tools, you can specify a segment length limit, although it's true that I haven't seen any that offer line length limits (e.g. if a segment has two lines). Characters per second isn't relevant here because the original poster is talking about translating SRT files with existing time codes intact (his workflow does not involve changing time codes in the translated file).

I agree with Esperantisto, though: most modern CAT tools can translate SRT files. Some are better at it. That final step of splitting a segment into two lines is usually done manually by the translator, unless he's using a CAT tool that segments by line and not by subtitle.

Alex, has your wife tried OmegaT yet?

grabthar

[Edited at 2021-01-12 08:13 GMT]


 
Harry HU
Harry HU
China
Agree Jan 12, 2021

Your point is good!
Good luck


 
Mr. Satan (X)
Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
No Jan 16, 2021

Samuel Murray wrote:

I assume you mean characters per line or characters per second. In some generic CAT tools, you can specify a segment length limit, although it's true that I haven't seen any that offer line length limits (e.g. if a segment has two lines). Characters per second isn't relevant here because the original poster is talking about translating SRT files with existing time codes intact (his workflow does not involve changing time codes in the translated file).


I know they do, but it's a bit loose. You can guesstimate if the number of characters you typed would break the CPL limit or not based on your experience, if you're confident enough.

CPS has nothing to do with adjusting time-codes. They're used to limit how many characters you can include within a subtitle event to make them easier to read.

Although I must admit, I adjust the time-codes sometimes when my translations wouldn't fit the character limitation. So I don't need to ponder for 3 days trying to formulate a CPS-compliant sentence for each line. Because cheating is for winners.

[Edited at 2021-01-16 03:59 GMT]

[Edited at 2021-01-16 04:00 GMT]


 


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Is this useful software for subtitle translations?







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