Converting trad-> simplified and vice versa in MS Word?

[calibre2001]

I have some chinese test papers in simplified characters. I was wondering if there're special add ons or functions that can convert them to traditional characters?? Thanks.

[self-taught-mba]

Microsoft Office add-on/pack.

$80

[Mike]

Mac OS X

Free

[tooironic]

just do it online

google language tools can do it, or there are plenty of other sites that do the same thing

[skylee]

One of the tools you can find on-line (and note that there are bound to be errors because a simplified character might stand for many traditional characters) -> http://www.chinese-tools.com/tools/converter-simptrad.html

[self-taught-mba]

In MS Word people, MS Word.

If you have formatting/tables/graphics/bullets/alternating languages.... all those online ones will mess it up.

[sui.generis]

Another non-MS Word solution is 同文堂。 If you use firefox, you can use word to save your file as html, open it in firefox, and use that plugin to convert it automagically.

[Luobot]

Skylee,

This is your 6000th post ... Whew!!!

(just had to mention it )

[ABCinChina]

self-taught-mba, you are correct! I have this same problem, but can't find a good and cheap solution. I'm going to try out sui.generis's method to see if it works well with word files.

If you have a Chinese version of Excel, you can do the simplified-traditional conversion very easily and accurately with this tool.

Edit: sui.generis, if I convert a word file to html, I can convert it in firefox, but it doesn't save the conversion. Also, you can't turn the html file back into a word file so this method ultimately doesn't work.

However, I love how TongWenTang does automatic traditional and simplified conversions! I've now switched over from GB2Big but left it installed for its free proxy function. (For those who don't know, GB2Big has a useful proxy button that is helpful for visiting blocked websites in China)

[sui.generis]

To save as a Word doc, copy the contents of the firefox window after conversion, and paste into MS Word. Then save.

If you're having trouble getting it into firefox in the first place, copy the contents of the word document into a post here (or any bulliten board), hit preview, then use tong wen tang to convert it. Copy and paste it back. Obviously you'd want to be careful to not actually post the information to any forum.

One thing I love about 同文堂 is the magnification. Sometimes those characters are so small I can't read them. Sometimes I even use the program on simplified pages just to get the magnified characters. There are probably other tools to do the same thing, but since that is the only time I use it, I like having it integrated.

[Luobot]

To save as a Word doc, copy the contents of the firefox window after conversion, and paste into MS Word. Then save.

Brilliant! Also, consider installing the Firefox addon:

Copy Plain Text

It removes a lot of the formatting junk that can get in the way of a simple copy.

[ABCinChina]

Also, it's great how 同文堂 can turn anything you cut and paste back and forth from traditional to simplified.

Thanks for the advice, sui.generis, your method works for the most part except when the word file has many pictures or text boxes in them. The words transfer over, but the pictures do not nor do the characters in some types of text boxes. Oh well...

[sui.generis]

Glad I could help a little. Sorry it didn't work for the more complicated documents though.