09-09-2011, 09:25 AM | #1 |
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Karma: 10
Join Date: Sep 2011
Device: Ipad
|
Can I write an epub ebook in two languages?
Is it possible to write an ebook in .epub format in two languages ?
I mean one page in English and the other in Spanish. |
09-10-2011, 04:21 AM | #2 |
Guru
Posts: 802
Karma: 4727110
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Sweden
Device: Iriver Story
|
Note added later: This suggestion is a good idea, but not feasible with present epub technology. See HarryT's comment lower down the page. Sorry. I opened my mouth before connecting my brain. The epub standard is so good, far better than, say, mobi, that I assumed it would cope automatically with columns. Now my original post:
Could be a problem since you don't know where the page breaks come. Why not use two columns? Many ebook readers can rotate the page through 90 degrees, so you read it in landscape mode. Short pages, but wider columns. Another advantage is you can easily adjust so that the two texts keep in step. Translations are rarely exactly the same length! But an extra couple of carriage returns in one language or the other will do it. Last edited by James_Wilde; 09-11-2011 at 04:35 AM. |
Advert | |
|
09-11-2011, 12:59 AM | #3 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,306
Karma: 43993832
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Monroe Wisconsin
Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)
|
I'd think it would be easier just to create two seperate ebook files. One copy in English and one in Spanish. Either that or have them both bundled together in the same file. Sort of like an Omnibus version. The copy of the Spanish version starting on the page after the end of the English version.
|
09-11-2011, 04:23 AM | #4 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Can you explain how you'd go about doing that, James? To the best of my knowledge, ePub doesn't support columns.
|
09-11-2011, 04:37 AM | #5 |
Guru
Posts: 802
Karma: 4727110
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Sweden
Device: Iriver Story
|
Hm, Harry, you've caught me out there. See my now edited comment earlier. However, I'll do some experimenting and see if I can find a solution for the op.
A few seconds later: Hang on: epub is xhtml based. Couldn't you use a table with two columns? Perhaps a table for each chapter. Not ideal, but a possible solution. I'll give it a try. Last edited by James_Wilde; 09-11-2011 at 04:43 AM. |
Advert | |
|
09-11-2011, 04:40 AM | #6 | |
Guru
Posts: 802
Karma: 4727110
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Sweden
Device: Iriver Story
|
Quote:
Hence my failed suggestion to use columns, since ereaders don't normally (yet) have two facing pages visible at the same time. |
|
09-11-2011, 06:15 AM | #7 | |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Quote:
Genuine multi-column text is, I believe, a part of the ePub 3 standard, but there's no current reading device which will do it. |
|
09-11-2011, 08:55 AM | #8 |
Fool
Posts: 365
Karma: 3557934
Join Date: Feb 2003
Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle PW1, Kobo Glo HD, Nook Glowlight Plus ...
|
An "easy" solution is to set up the texts linearly--English first, say, then Spanish, and set each line in English as a link to the line in Spanish and visa versa. A lot of work, but when it is done, it should do the job quite well.
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
How to write xpath for this epub file? | felicia.mng | Calibre | 1 | 11-02-2010 08:15 AM |