Localizable text in custom layout? I'm customizing Display Suite-suggested tpl by adding "Jump to top" links at the bottom of each teaser and I want to properly localize the link text.

Now I am unclear as per the usability of the Variable module (that had to be installed along with i18n). Can I add my own variable (say, jump_to_top_link) somewhere in the Variable admin panel, without writing my own module? Or is Variable meant only as an API for modules?

I don't want to learn module development now, but I want my custom text to be scalable and easily manageable from one place, instead of hard-coding strings and ifs.

Would anyone be willing to shed light on how to approach the problem?

Regards,
Artur
You can set the translations for each specified language in the strings settings part of the internationalization module: /admin/config/regional/i18n_translation

To show it in a template file you simply use the t() function to wrap your text - which translates text for you and automatically adds new text defined in the t() function to the strings page. 

See http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--bootstrap.inc/function/t/7

If you are hardcoding links with your text you can use l(), so if you have say a text link and want the text to be translated you would use l() and in it define your text using t() - something like this:  http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--bootstrap.inc/function/t/7

See http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--common.inc/function/l/7 for its usage.