Bob is arguably the best translation tool for macOS, known for its beautiful design and plugin system. You can easily hook up DeepSeek to replace expensive services like DeepL.
Method 1: OpenAI Plugin (Recommended)
This works for almost all versions of Bob.
- Install Plugin: Ensure you have the "OpenAI Translator" plugin installed (often built-in or available in the plugin store).
- Add Service:
- Open Bob Preferences -> Services -> Add Service.
- Select OpenAI (or the plugin name).
- Configs:
- API Key: Your DeepSeek Key (
sk-xxxx). - API Url:
https://api.deepseek.com(Note: Plugin usually appends paths automatically. If it fails, tryhttps://api.deepseek.com/v1). - Model: Select Custom, then type
deepseek-chat.
- API Key: Your DeepSeek Key (
- Test: Save and try selecting text to translate.
Method 2: Native DeepSeek (Newer Versions)
Newer versions of Bob (or specific community plugins) might have a dedicated "DeepSeek" option.
- When adding a service, search for "DeepSeek".
- If available, just enter the API Key.
- If not, fallback to Method 1.
Why DeepSeek + Bob?
- Speed: DeepSeek V3 API is incredibly fast, comparable to local dictionary lookups.
- Context: Unlike statistical machine translation, LLMs understand context, slang, and code snippets much better.
FAQ
Q: "404 Not Found" error? A: Usually a URL issue. Try these variations:
https://api.deepseek.comhttps://api.deepseek.com/v1https://api.deepseek.com/v1/chat/completions(Rarely needed for old plugins)
Q: Can I use R1?
A: Yes, set model to deepseek-reasoner. However, R1's "thinking" process adds latency, which is annoying for quick lookups. V3 (deepseek-chat) is recommended.
