t-cli Terminal Translator

A minimalist, stateless CLI tool powered by the DeepSeek API for interactive English/Chinese translation and grammar checking. Provides authentic American English translations and revisions.

Features

1. Ready to Use: Launch globally via command, enter dialogue mode instantly.
2. Auto EN/ZH Translation: Automatically detects the input language. Translates Chinese into natural American English, and English into fluent Chinese.
3. Grammar Check (/check): Points out grammar and phrasing errors in English sentences, providing 2-3 native, authentic alternatives.
4. Explanation Language Toggle (/lang): Toggle AI explanations between English (default) and Chinese using /lang en or /lang zh.
5. Mode Toggle (/mode): Switch between detail mode (default) and simple mode (/mode simple). Simple mode only outputs the direct translation or correction without any extra explanation.
6. Word Lookup with IPA: When the input is a single word or short term, the English result includes its American IPA transcription (e.g. apple /ˈæp.əl/).
7. Text-to-Speech (/say): Reads the last translation aloud with Microsoft Edge neural voices (msedge-tts), falling back to the local say command when offline. Use /say stop to cancel.
8. Clear Screen (/clear): Instantly clears the terminal output for a fresh view.
9. Stateless Requests: No contextual memory between prompts, drastically reducing API token consumption.
10. Input History (↑/↓): Recall previously entered text and commands with the arrow keys, readline-style. Pressing ↓ past the newest entry restores your unsubmitted draft.

Installation

Method 1: Global Installation from Local Source (Recommended for Dev)

If you have downloaded the source code, navigate to the project directory and run:

npm install -g .

Method 2: Offline Installation via Tarball (.tgz)

You can build a standalone package file and share it:

1. In the project directory, run:

npm pack

2. This generates a file like t-cli-translator-1.0.0.tgz. Share this file with others.
3. Anyone with Node.js installed can install it globally from the file:

npm install -g path/to/t-cli-translator-1.0.0.tgz

Method 3: Install from npm Registry (Public)

If this package is published to the npm registry, you can install it globally on any machine:

npm install -g t-cli-translator

(Note: Replace t-cli-translator with your actual package name if you change it before publishing).

Environment Setup

The tool relies on the DeepSeek API. You MUST obtain a DeepSeek API Key.

There are two ways to configure it:

Option A: System Environment Variable (Highly Recommended) Add this to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="sk-your_api_key_here"

Option B: Using an .env file Create a .env file in the directory where you run the command (or the project root):

DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=sk-your_api_key_here

Usage

Simply run the command in your terminal to enter the interactive translator:

t-cli

Examples

t-cli > 你好，今天天气真不错。
# 翻译: Hello, the weather is really nice today.

t-cli > This tool is very useful for me.
# 翻译: 这个工具对我来说非常有用。

t-cli > 苹果
# apple /ˈæp.əl/

t-cli > /say
# Reads "apple" aloud. Use /say stop to cancel playback.

t-cli > /check He don't know nothing about the project.
# 语法检查与润色结果:
# 1. 错误分析: "He don't" 语法错误，第三人称单数应使用 doesn't。"don't know nothing" 属于双重否定，在标准英语中不正确。
# 2. 修改建议: He doesn't know anything about the project.
# 3. 更好的地道表达:
#   - He's completely clueless about the project.
#   - He knows absolutely nothing about the project.

t-cli > exit
# Goodbye!

To quit the tool: Type exit, quit, or press Ctrl+C.

t-cli