Typesetting two languages on facing pages

Last-Updated: 2023-05-17

Sources

• 2022-05/msg00069
  
• hoffmann/2lang
  

Goal of the macro

This macro written by Tadziu Hoffmann aims at typesetting a text in two languages, the first version on the recto and the second version on the verso a page. The two version will be synchronised so that each paragraph in each language is more or less at the same height on facing pages.

Using the macro

The macro is distributed on Tadziu Hoffmann's webpage (hoffmann/2lang) and contains three files.

• A fully typeset document in English and German: duallanguage.pdf,
• the source of said document: duallanguage.ro, and
• the file you should use: 2lang.ro. It contains all the macros, with explanations and a small example.

Then you can use .2B to begin the two languages processing, use .L1 to begin a paragraph in the first language and .L2 for the second language. End this process with the .2E macro.

For our North American users, you may want to modify 2lang.ro because it assumes an A4 page. Look for macro called with arguments like 21c or 29.7c.