Writing everything twice sounds like double the work, and it is. It is also the best way I know to check whether I actually understand what I wrote.
Translation as a review
Putting an idea into a second language forces every vague sentence into the open. If a paragraph is hard to translate, it was usually unclear to begin with.
How the site handles it
- Each page has the same address in both languages, with
/zh/in front for Chinese. - Search engines are told which version is which, so each audience finds its own.
- When a translation is not ready, the Chinese link leads to the English page instead of a dead end, and Chinese lists leave the post out until its translation is published. No page mixes the two languages.
Not word for word
The two versions say the same things, but they are not literal translations. Each one should read naturally on its own.