Huoshui Pdf Translator

io.github.huoshuiai42Published by GitHub account huoshuiai42v1.0.0Updated Oct 24, 2026

An MCP server that provides PDF translation service

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Overview

AI-generated overview

A local MCP server that translates PDF documents, especially academic papers with formulas, while preserving layout.

What you can do
Translate a PDF file, optionally to a chosen output path, producing dual-language and translated copies with formulas and layout preserved. Inspect a PDF to get its path, size and page count before translating. Check whether the underlying translation tool is installed and see its version and status. Download required fonts and models ahead of time to avoid first-run timeouts.
When to use it
Useful when you want an assistant to translate PDFs, particularly Chinese-English academic or technical papers with equations, without losing the original formatting. Best suited to desktop use where the files live on the same machine.
Requirements
Runs locally as a Python package (for example via uvx, pipx or uv tool) on a desktop machine. Network access is needed at least for the first-time download of fonts and models (about 50MB). The underlying pdf2zh-next tool is installed automatically if missing. PDFs are limited to 200MB.
Before you install
It reads PDF files from paths you give it and writes translated output files to disk, so point it only at documents you are willing to process. It may install the pdf2zh-next package automatically and download models and fonts from the network. Translation quality and any data sent by the underlying translation engine depend on that engine's configuration.

Installation

In SourceWeft

  1. Open Huoshui Pdf Translator in the dashboard and add it to a workspace.
  2. Enable the server for the chats that should use its tools.

Desktop only via STDIO. STDIO servers start a local process, so they need the SourceWeft desktop host.

Other MCP clients

Follow the launch instructions in the repository.

README

Huoshui PDF Translator

Version: 0.1.0
Powered by: FastMCP & PDFMathTranslate-next
PyPI Package: huoshui-pdf-translator

An intelligent PDF translation assistant that specializes in academic papers with mathematical formulas. Built using the FastMCP framework and powered by PDFMathTranslate-next, it provides comprehensive translation capabilities with context-aware assistance.

🌟 Features

Core Translation Capabilities

  • 📚 Academic Papers: Excellent handling of mathematical formulas and equations
  • 🔬 Technical Documents: Preserves formatting and technical terminology
  • 🌐 Multi-language Support: Auto-detection with Chinese ↔ English specialization
  • 🎨 Layout Preservation: Maintains original PDF structure and formatting

Smart Assistant Features

  • 🧠 Context-Aware Prompts: Multiple specialized prompts for different scenarios
  • 🛠️ Tool Status Checking: Verify translation tool installation and availability
  • 📊 PDF Analysis: Get detailed information about PDF files before translation
  • 🔍 Flexible Path Handling: Support for both absolute and relative file paths
  • ⚡ Progress Reporting: Real-time progress updates during translation
  • 🚨 Intelligent Error Handling: Comprehensive error diagnosis and troubleshooting

MCP Features

  • 📋 Resources: Translation capability listings and PDF file information
  • 🎯 Tools: Translation, PDF analysis, and tool status checking
  • 💬 Prompts: Role definitions, path guidance, options explanation, and error troubleshooting
  • 🔒 Security: Safe path validation with system directory protection

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

From MCP Registry (Recommended)

This server is available in the Model Context Protocol Registry. Install it using your MCP client.

mcp-name: io.github.huoshuiai42/huoshui-pdf-translator

Using uvx
bash
uvx huoshui-pdf-translator

Claude Desktop Setup

Add this to your Claude Desktop MCP configuration:

json
{  "mcpServers": {    "huoshui-pdf-translator": {      "command": "uvx",      "args": ["huoshui-pdf-translator"]    }  }}

Alternative Installation Methods

Via pipx:

bash
pipx install huoshui-pdf-translator

Via UV tools:

bash
uv tool install huoshui-pdf-translator

Claude Desktop config for UV tools:

json
{  "mcpServers": {    "huoshui-pdf-translator": {      "command": "uv",      "args": ["tool", "run", "huoshui-pdf-translator"]    }  }}

📖 Usage

First-Time Setup

  1. Warm up (downloads fonts/models): Use warm_up_translator tool
  2. Check status: Use check_translation_tool tool
  3. Translate: Use translate_pdf tool with your PDF path

MCP Tools

translate_pdf

Translates PDF documents while preserving mathematical formulas and layout.

python
# Basic usagetranslate_pdf(pdf_path="Desktop/paper.pdf")
# With custom output pathtranslate_pdf(    pdf_path="Documents/research.pdf",    output_path="Documents/translated/research_cn.pdf")
pdf_get

Retrieves detailed information about a PDF file.

python
pdf_info = pdf_get(path="Desktop/document.pdf")# Returns: PDFResource with path, size_bytes, page_count
warm_up_translator

Downloads required assets and models. Run this first to avoid timeouts.

python
warm_up_translator()# Downloads fonts and models (~50MB) for faster subsequent translations
check_translation_tool

Verifies PDFMathTranslate-next installation and status.

python
status = check_translation_tool()# Returns: status, version, message

MCP Prompts

  • role_and_rules: Core identity and operational rules
  • explain_pdf_paths: Help with file path specifications
  • explain_translation_options: Available options and best practices
  • troubleshoot_translation_error: Error diagnosis and solutions
  • explain_translation_result: Result explanation and next steps

File Path Examples

The assistant supports flexible path specifications:

bash
# Absolute paths/Users/john/Desktop/research.pdfC:\Users\John\Documents\paper.pdf
# Relative to home directoryDesktop/research.pdfDocuments/papers/study.pdf
# Simple filenames (assumes home directory)paper.pdf

🎯 Translation Workflow

  1. Install: uvx huoshui-pdf-translator
  2. Setup Claude Desktop: Add MCP configuration
  3. Warm up: Run warm_up_translator tool (first time only)
  4. Translate: Use translate_pdf with your PDF path
  5. Review: Two files created (dual-language and Chinese-only)

⚡ Performance

  • First translation: 2-5 minutes (downloads fonts/models)
  • Subsequent translations: 30-60 seconds
  • File size limit: 200MB maximum
  • Cache size: ~50MB for fonts and models

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Translation Tool Not Available

The tool automatically installs pdf2zh-next when needed. If issues occur:

bash
# Check status# Use check_translation_tool in Claude Desktop
# Manual install if neededpip install pdf2zh-next
First Translation Timeout
bash
# Run warmup first# Use warm_up_translator tool in Claude Desktop
PDF File Not Found
  • Verify file path is correct
  • Use absolute paths for clarity
  • Check file hasn't been moved or deleted
Network Issues
  • Ensure internet connection (required for first-time font downloads)
  • Check firewall settings

Error Diagnosis

The assistant provides intelligent error diagnosis with specific solutions for:

  • File not found errors
  • Invalid PDF files
  • Translation tool issues
  • Network connectivity problems
  • File size limitations

🛠️ Development

For Developers

Install from source:

bash
git clone https://github.com/huoshuiai/huoshui-pdf-translator.gitcd huoshui-pdf-translatoruv syncuv run python -m huoshui_pdf_translator.main

Build and publish:

bash
uv builduv run twine upload dist/*

Project Structure

huoshui-pdf-translator/├── huoshui_pdf_translator/│   ├── __init__.py      # Package metadata│   └── main.py         # FastMCP server implementation├── pyproject.toml      # Package configuration├── README.md          # This file└── LICENSE           # Apache-2.0 license

🔄 Updates

Update to latest version:

bash
uvx install --upgrade huoshui-pdf-translator# oruv tool upgrade huoshui-pdf-translator

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Add tests if applicable
  5. Submit a pull request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache-2.0 License. See the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • PDFMathTranslate-next: Core translation engine
  • FastMCP: Framework for intelligent assistant capabilities
  • Anthropic: MCP protocol and ecosystem
  • UV & PyPI: Modern Python packaging and distribution

Source: README.md at commit 4681ece

Tools

0
SourceWeft has not started this package in its sandbox yet, so its tools are not known.

Version history

1
  1. v1.0.0LatestSep 16, 2026

Score

40% of the applicable checks met

How complete this listing is, computed from the registry entry, the endpoint and public sources. Not a rating of the server and not a statement that it is safe or working today: reachability is a dated check, and no installs or reviews go into the score.

  • Reached in the last 30 days25 pts

    Keep the endpoint answering the MCP handshake; SourceWeft probes it every 30 days.

  • Auth declared10 pts

    Declare the credential headers in the registry entry, or keep the endpoint answering the probe so its auth can be classified.

  • Tools listed15 pts

    Answer tools/list without a credential, or ship a package that starts in a sandbox without one.

  • DescriptionRequired15 pts
  • Logo10 pts
  • Documentation15 pts
  • License10 pts

    Declare a license in the repository or the registry entry.