What is splitread.koplugin?

Splitread is a plugin for KOReader, the open source e-reader software used on devices like the Kobo and on modified Kindles. It splits the reading screen into two halves: the top shows the original text of the book as normal, and the bottom shows a live translation of whatever is currently on screen, updating automatically as the reader turns pages. The translation itself comes from KOReader's built-in Google Translate integration, so no separate API key or account is needed, though an active internet connection is required for every page. The plugin is aimed at people learning a foreign language who are already at an intermediate level and want to read real books in that language rather than simplified graded readers, using the translation panel as a support rather than a full crutch. Installation means downloading the plugin folder and copying it into KOReader's plugins directory, with slightly different paths depending on whether the device is a Kobo, Kindle, Android phone, or Linux desktop running KOReader. Once installed, splitread is off by default and has to be turned on separately for each book through the reader's navigation menu, where a settings icon also lets the reader choose the source and target languages, toggle automatic translation on page turns, and adjust the font size of the translation panel. The plugin only supports EPUB and other text based formats, not PDF, and has been tested on a Kobo Libra H2O and on the Linux version of KOReader. The author notes some known rough edges: text near the top and bottom of a page can be cut off at page boundaries, though the plugin tries to stitch sentences across pages to reduce this, and very large font sizes in the translation panel can cause clipping. The project began as a personal tool for the author's own language learning and is shared publicly in case it helps others, with feature requests, bug reports, and pull requests welcomed.