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tourillon
Ordinateur couplé dans un environnement parralèle Sysplex

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

assister (dependance)

English translation:

make s.o. dependant on help

Added to glossary by Transitwrite
Jan 7, 2008 05:26
16 yrs ago
4 viewers *
French term

assister

French to English Bus/Financial Management
From a management training program:

"Pour aider vos collaborateurs sans les ***assister***, posez-vous 5 questions avant de vous lancer."

Specifically, I don't know how "assister" differs from "aider" in this context. Is "assister" more extreme, providing more help/hand-holding than simply "aider"? I appreciate any insight on the connotation.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +9 to help your colleagues without them becoming too dependant on your support.
4 +4 to help without spoonfeeding
3 +4 help without doing the work for them
4 +1 To help them without "mollycoddling" them
4 to support / give support
3 without propping them up
2 Help them by not actually "helping" them
Change log

Jan 12, 2008 18:33: Transitwrite Created KOG entry

Discussion

MatthewLaSon Jan 7, 2008:
The French is vague, and the English translation should be vague, too. That's why I opted for a literal translation, which does indeed imply "not spoonfeeding them."
Paul Cohen Jan 7, 2008:
Reminds me of the old adage in aid and development work: "helping people to help themselves" (NOT a suggestion for your text, but it's in the ballpark). ;-)
Sandra Petch Jan 7, 2008:
"...nous voulons que la France devienne un pays d'entrepreneurs, de créateurs."
Sandra Petch Jan 7, 2008:
"Assister" has the sense of "overhelping". It makes me think of what in the UK has been referred to as the "nanny state". In France N. Sarkozy said "Nous ne voulons pas que la France devienne un pays d'assistés...
Jennifer Baldwin (asker) Jan 7, 2008:
I agree, 1045, which is why I'm wondering whether there's some connotation that I'm just not aware of. If it helps, this section of the training program is about how much help a manager should provide. It explains that some people are more autonomous and don't require as much guidance as others might.
Jean-Claude Gouin Jan 7, 2008:
To help without assisting them ... Seems odd in both languages ...

Proposed translations

+9
1 hr
Selected

to help your colleagues without them becoming too dependant on your support.

I am sure that the accent here is on the fact that we use assisté as a way to describe being OVER dependant and relying on assistance. It would have been interesting to see the steps which came after the phrase to confirm this.
Note from asker:
Good point on the part that comes after. Here it is in English: "1. Has my help been requested? If so, how? 2. What is my role? My responsibility? 3. Am I capable of helping? Do I have the means? 4. Do I do more or less than 50% of the work? 5. Do I want to help? Am I available?"
Peer comment(s):
agree Attorney DC Bar : I think that is the idea. As in 'un assisté social', which nobody wants to be called. "Dependent' with an 'e'.
20 mins
agree Tzveta Valentinova
1 hr
agree Sandra Petch : Maybe just "dependent" rather than "too dependent".
1 hr
agree Cervin : ..or 'over dependent', maybe
1 hr
agree Victoria Porter-Burns : I agree - could be 'too dependant', over dependant' or simply 'dependant'
2 hrs
agree AllegroTrans : "dependant" would suffice, I think
3 hrs
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X)
4 hrs
agree Paul Cohen
6 hrs
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Lots of great answers to choose from, so thanks to everyone for your help! I'm choosing this one both for its popularity and also for its reference to dependence, which is mentioned elsewhere in the text."
1 hr

Help them by not actually "helping" them

Hello,

Help them without (actually) helping them...

Before "assisting", ask yourself these 5 questions before jumping in to help them . Help them by getting them to think, not by by giving them clues along the way (that is, unless you've already asked yourself the 5 questions first before giving "assistance ").

It's hard to say really...

I hope this helps.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Paul Cohen : Sounds paradoxal to me. Far too ambiguous.
6 hrs
Th French is, too, ambiguous. Isn't the French paradoxal, lol? "Not spoonfeeding them" could indeed be implied by my translation. That is probably what the French is implying. My explanation could be taken to suggest "not spoonfeeding them."
neutral veratek : agree with Paul's comment in this case
18 hrs
Th French is, too, ambiguous. Isn't the French paradoxal, lol? "Not spoonfeeding them" could indeed be implied by my translation. That is probably what the French is implying. My explanation could be taken to suggest "not spoonfeeding the
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

To help them without "mollycoddling" them

This might be of use to you.
Peer comment(s):
agree veratek
18 hrs
Something went wrong...
+4
2 hrs

to help without spoonfeeding

this is the notions - the "assistés" = the sort of people who live off state handouts
Peer comment(s):
agree Paul Cohen : "spoonfeeding" is another good option.
5 hrs
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
6 hrs
agree katsy
9 hrs
agree Najib Aloui
1 day 3 hrs
Something went wrong...
+4
2 hrs

help without doing the work for them

help them without becoming a prop
help them without them becoming reliant on you
Peer comment(s):
agree Expialidocio (X) : help without doing it for them
15 mins
Thanks, CherryPie.
agree AllegroTrans
1 hr
Thanks, Allegro
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
6 hrs
Thanks, 1045.
agree veratek
17 hrs
Something went wrong...
31 mins

to support / give support

When you train a manager you need to train, guide and also give him the support he needs. As a manager, looking the other way is difficult, giving support when you would do otherwise, is even more difficult. However very necessary if the trainee is to become a success.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-01-07 08:31:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Colleagues obviously also need support (instead of stabs in the back...)
Peer comment(s):
neutral AllegroTrans : how woukd you translate the 2nd verb (which is what is causing concern for the asker)?
3 hrs
I would go with something like: The best assistance you can give your colleaugues is by supporting them is to support them.
neutral Julie Barber : the sentence says 'without' giving....this wouldn't make sense & misses the meaning
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

without propping them up

I agree with Sharon's explanation, but here's an alternative version.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Emma Paulay : Hi Julie, it's rather like my second suggestion
4 hrs
Hi. I hadn't seen your suggestion (obviously). Sorry if you get multiple responses, my posts arent going through today
Something went wrong...
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