How to translate a PDF without copying text into a translator?

On a Mac, Bob is a useful way to translate short passages while leaving the PDF open. It’s a translation utility that works across apps, rather than another PDF reader.

Configure a translation service and a selection-translation shortcut in Bob. Then open your report in your usual reader, highlight a paragraph, and press that shortcut. A translation window appears without requiring you to paste the text into a website.

For a scanned passage you can’t select, use Bob’s screenshot-translation shortcut and draw a rectangle around it. OCR extracts the words for translation, which is handy when only a few scanned paragraphs need attention.

It’s primarily a tool for quick passages, not whole-PDF translation. Costs depend on the Bob version or licence and the translation/OCR services you choose; some services require paid API access. Processing may use online services, so don’t assume screenshot translation stays entirely on your Mac.