--- calibre/setup/translations.py.wiget	2013-12-06 05:13:34.000000000 +0100
+++ calibre/setup/translations.py	2013-12-09 09:28:32.349958101 +0100
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class Translations(POT):  # {{{
 
     def mo_file(self, po_file):
         locale = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(po_file))[0]
-        return locale, os.path.join(self.DEST, locale, 'messages.mo')
+        return locale, os.path.join(self.DEST, locale, 'LC_MESSAGES', 'messages.mo')
 
     def run(self, opts):
         self.iso639_errors = []
@@ -174,7 +175,6 @@ class Translations(POT):  # {{{
     def run(self, opts):
         self.compile_main_translations()
         self.compile_content_server_translations()
-        self.freeze_locales()
         self.compile_user_manual_translations()
 
     def compile_group(self, files, handle_stats=None, file_ok=None, action_per_file=None):
@@ -198,15 +198,6 @@ class Translations(POT):  # {{{
                     # raise SystemExit(1)
                 rmap[msgstr] = msgid
 
-    def freeze_locales(self):
-        zf = self.DEST + '.zip'
-        from calibre import CurrentDir
-        from calibre.utils.zipfile import ZipFile, ZIP_DEFLATED
-        with ZipFile(zf, 'w', ZIP_DEFLATED) as zf:
-            with CurrentDir(self.DEST):
-                zf.add_dir('.')
-        shutil.rmtree(self.DEST)
-
     @property
     def stats(self):
         return self.j(self.d(self.DEST), 'stats.pickle')
--- calibre/src/calibre/translations/dynamic.py.wiget	2013-12-06 05:13:34.000000000 +0100
+++ calibre/src/calibre/translations/dynamic.py	2013-12-09 09:28:32.349958101 +0100
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ Dynamic language lookup of translations
 __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2008, Marshall T. Vandegrift <llasram@gmail.com>'
 
+import os
 import cStringIO
 from gettext import GNUTranslations
 from calibre.utils.localization import get_lc_messages_path
-from zipfile import ZipFile
 
 __all__ = ['translate']
 
@@ -21,15 +21,10 @@ def translate(lang, text):
     else:
         mpath = get_lc_messages_path(lang)
         if mpath is not None:
-            with ZipFile(P('localization/locales.zip',
-                allow_user_override=False), 'r') as zf:
-                try:
-                    buf = cStringIO.StringIO(zf.read(mpath + '/messages.mo'))
-                except:
-                    pass
-                else:
-                    trans = GNUTranslations(buf)
-                    _CACHE[lang] = trans
+           p = os.path.join(mpath, 'calibre.mo')
+           if os.path.exists(p):
+               trans = GNUTranslations(open(p, 'rb'))
+               _CACHE[lang] = trans
     if trans is None:
         return getattr(__builtins__, '_', lambda x: x)(text)
     return trans.ugettext(text)
--- calibre/src/calibre/utils/localization.py.wiget	2013-12-06 05:13:34.000000000 +0100
+++ calibre/src/calibre/utils/localization.py	2013-12-09 09:31:05.694326467 +0100
@@ -74,21 +74,20 @@ def get_lang():
     return get_lang()[:2].lower() in {'he', 'ar'}
 
 
+def messages_path(lang):
+    return ('/usr/share/locale/%s/LC_MESSAGES'%lang)
+
 def get_lc_messages_path(lang):
     hlang = None
-    if zf_exists():
-        if lang in available_translations():
-            hlang = lang
-        else:
-            xlang = lang.split('_')[0].lower()
-            if xlang in available_translations():
-                hlang = xlang
-    return hlang
-
-
-def zf_exists():
-    return os.path.exists(P('localization/locales.zip',
-                allow_user_override=False))
+    if lang in available_translations():
+        hlang = lang
+    else:
+        xlang = lang.split('_')[0]
+        if xlang in available_translations():
+            hlang = xlang
+    if hlang is not None:
+        return messages_path(hlang)
+    return None
 
 _lang_trans = None
 
@@ -99,13 +99,14 @@
 _lang_trans = None
 
 def get_all_translators():
-    from zipfile import ZipFile
-    with ZipFile(P('localization/locales.zip', allow_user_override=False), 'r') as zf:
-        for lang in available_translations():
-            mpath = get_lc_messages_path(lang)
-            if mpath is not None:
-                buf = cStringIO.StringIO(zf.read(mpath + '/messages.mo'))
-                yield lang, GNUTranslations(buf)
+    for lang in available_translations():
+        mpath = get_lc_messages_path(lang)
+        if mpath is not None:
+            try:
+                buf = open(os.path.join(mpath, 'calibre.mo'), 'rb')
+                yield lang, GNUTranslations(buf)
+            except:
+                pass
 
 lcdata = {
     u'abday': (u'Sun', u'Mon', u'Tue', u'Wed', u'Thu', u'Fri', u'Sat'),
@@ -145,21 +145,20 @@
                 buf = cStringIO.StringIO(buf.getvalue())
 
         if mpath is not None:
-            from zipfile import ZipFile
-            with ZipFile(P('localization/locales.zip',
-                allow_user_override=False), 'r') as zf:
-                if buf is None:
-                    buf = cStringIO.StringIO(zf.read(mpath + '/messages.mo'))
+            if buf is None:
+                try:
+                    buf = open(os.path.join(mpath, 'calibre.mo'), 'rb')
+                except:
+                    pass  # No translations for this lang
                 if mpath == 'nds':
                     mpath = 'de'
-                isof = mpath + '/iso639.mo'
                 try:
-                    iso639 = cStringIO.StringIO(zf.read(isof))
+                    iso639 = open(os.path.join(mpath, 'calibre_iso639.mo'), 'rb')
                 except:
                     pass  # No iso639 translations for this lang
                 if buf is not None:
                     try:
-                        lcdata = cPickle.loads(zf.read(mpath + '/lcdata.pickle'))
+                        lcdata = cPickle.loads(open(os.path.join(mpath, 'calibre_lcdata.pickle')))
                     except:
                         pass  # No lcdata