Keep the person consistent without erasing their different names

Before translating a long novel, record each recurring name, nickname, title and invented term with its preferred target wording and a short source example. Link the different names for one person in your notes. After translation, compare an introduction, a later appearance and a scene where the form of address changes. A glossary guides wording; it does not guarantee that every occurrence is correct.

The useful question is more specific than “Did the same word appear?” Ask whether the reader can still tell **who is speaking, who is being addressed and what their relationship is**.

##### 1. Give each recurring person a small identity record

Start with the characters and terms that could confuse a reader if they changed. For each person, note their full name and the other names actually used in the source. Keep chapter titles and a few opening words so you can find the passages again when page numbers change.

Do not merge two people just because their names become similar in the target language. Do not replace every title with a person's name: the title may explain a relationship or a change in status.

Use this review table in a spreadsheet or notebook:

| Identity / term | Source wording | Preferred target wording | Context and exception | Places to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character C01 | 伊莲娜·索尔 | Elena Sol | Full personal name | Ch. 1 introduction; Ch. 18 return |
| Character C01 | 小莲 | Lian | Childhood nickname for Elena; used by her brother | Ch. 3 reunion; Ch. 18 private conversation |
| Character C01 | 索尔队长 | Captain Sol | Formal address for Elena while she holds command | Ch. 8 briefing; Ch. 18 meeting |
| Place P01 | 余烬港 | Ember Harbor | A named location, not any harbor with embers | Ch. 2 arrival; Ch. 18 departure |

**Original teaching example:** the characters, locations and decisions in this table were created for this guide. These are possible editorial choices, not SEKA translation output or universal translations.

##### 2. Test the decision against a short passage

Original source example:

```zh-CN
“索尔队长，请留步。”卫兵说。门关上后，弟弟才低声叫她：“小莲。”
```

An illustrative English rendering:

> “Captain Sol, a moment, please,” the guard said. Only after the door closed did her brother call her softly: “Lian.”

Both forms refer to Elena. Keeping the formal address in the first sentence and the childhood nickname in the second preserves the shift from public duty to family intimacy. Replacing both with “Elena” would make the identity explicit but remove that contrast. Treat this as a decision to check in context, rather than a rule that one spelling must replace every other form.

Also look for ordinary words that resemble names. A character nicknamed “Ash” and ash in a fireplace need different treatment. A glossary entry should not become a reason to change every occurrence blindly.

##### 3. Put approved choices into the task you will actually use

In [SEKA's guide](/user_guide#creator-glossary), the Glossary workflow lets you create or review entries, save a glossary and explicitly select it for a translation task. Saving it in your library does not automatically apply it to later tasks. If you select several glossaries, review their order: entries in a glossary higher in the list have higher priority.

For an existing list, use the import dialog's template. Its columns are **Category, Original, Translation, Case Sensitive and Notes**. Current Web code supports XLSX, XLS, CSV and JSON imports with up to 5,000 data rows per import. Check the current dialog before preparing a large list. Keep the identity and chapter-review columns above as your own review record; they are not extra import columns.

Automatic glossary extraction is an optional paid step. Its result is a draft to review, not an approved character directory. Check the wording, duplicates and quote before proceeding. You can prepare your decisions manually without starting extraction.

##### 4. Compare three occurrences, then record what you found

Find the same person or term in these places:

1. **Introduction:** does the chosen name identify the intended person?
2. **A distant chapter:** is a spelling change accidental, or does the source use a different name?
3. **A change in address:** does a nickname, title or rank still convey the right relationship?

Record the source phrase and target phrase beside the location. “Looks inconsistent” is difficult to act on; “Ch. 18, the line beginning ‘Only after the door closed’: brother uses the childhood nickname” gives you something to compare.

| Finding | Check next | Review action |
|---|---|---|
| One person seems to have two target names | Source aliases, spelling and the identity record | Keep an intentional alias; flag an unintended spelling change |
| One target name seems to refer to two people | Distinct source names and surrounding dialogue | Revise the proposed naming decision in your record |
| A preferred term is absent | Entry coverage, source variants, selected glossary and priority | Record the missing variant or conflict; check the actual output |
| The label is stable but the scene reads wrongly | Speaker, relationship, tone and ordinary-word meanings | Review the passage, rather than adding more fixed replacements |

These are diagnostic checks, not proof of a single cause. A model can deviate even when the glossary is present. Updating a saved glossary should not be treated as confirmation that an existing translation has changed; inspect the task and output separately.

##### Your glossary review checklist

- [ ] I linked each person's full name, aliases and titles in my notes.
- [ ] I kept different people separate, including names with similar target spellings.
- [ ] I recorded source context for names that can also be ordinary words.
- [ ] I selected the intended glossary for this task and reviewed its priority.
- [ ] I checked an introduction, a distant occurrence and a change of address.
- [ ] I recorded unresolved wording with a location and a next action.

Keep the original source available while reviewing. A consistent label can still be wrong in context, and this checklist is a sample review rather than proof that a whole book is accurate.

When your source and preferred terms are ready, [start a book translation](#translation-setup). Check the enabled file formats, choose the target language and style, and review the required Credits before confirming.

For a separate check on voice, use the [novel dialogue example](/novel-translation). For chapter and note locations, use the [EPUB chapter guide](/epub-translator).

##### Sources and example status

SEKA workflow facts: [Glossary guide](/user_guide#creator-glossary) and [task glossary selection](/user_guide#translate-glossary), checked against current Web source on 26 October 2026. The American Translators Association's Audiovisual Division discusses recording recurring names, approved translations and usage notes in [What Makes a Great KNP?](https://www.ata-divisions.org/AVD/what-makes-a-great-knp/). Applying an identity record and the three-location check to this novel example is this guide's editorial method, not an ATA endorsement or a measured SEKA result.

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