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assister

English translation: make s.o. dependant on help


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:assister (dependance)
English translation:make s.o. dependant on help
Entered by: Transitwrite
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05:26 Jan 7, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Management
French term or phrase: assister
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.
Jennifer Baldwin
Local time: 00:53
to help your colleagues without them becoming too dependant on your support.
Explanation:
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.
Selected response from:

Transitwrite
France
Local time: 09:53
Grading 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.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9to help your colleagues without them becoming too dependant on your support.Transitwrite
4 +4to help without spoonfeedingxxxCMJ_Trans
3 +4help without doing the work for them
Emma Paulay
4 +1To help them without "mollycoddling" them
ACOZ
4to support / give support
L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
3without propping them up
juliebarba
2Help them by not actually "helping" themMatthewLaSon


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
to help your colleagues without them becoming too dependant on your support.


Explanation:
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.

Transitwrite
France
Local time: 09:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading 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.
Notes to answerer
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 comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  rufinus: 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 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
4 hrs

agree  Paul Cohen
6 hrs

agree  1045
8 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Help them by not actually "helping" them


Explanation:
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.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 03:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
To help them without "mollycoddling" them


Explanation:
This might be of use to you.

ACOZ
Local time: 17:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  veratek
18 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
to help without spoonfeeding


Explanation:
this is the notions - the "assistés" = the sort of people who live off state handouts

xxxCMJ_Trans
Local time: 09:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 38

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Paul Cohen: "spoonfeeding" is another good option.
5 hrs

agree  1045
6 hrs

agree  katsy
9 hrs

agree  Najib Aloui
1 day3 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
help without doing the work for them


Explanation:
help them without becoming a prop
help them without them becoming reliant on you

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 09:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Amanda Ménage: help without doing it for them
15 mins
  -> Thanks, CherryPie.

agree  AllegroTrans
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Allegro

agree  1045
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, 1045.

agree  veratek
17 hrs
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to support / give support


Explanation:
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.

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

Colleagues obviously also need support (instead of stabs in the back...)

L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
South Africa
Local time: 09:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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  juliebarba: the sentence says 'without' giving....this wouldn't make sense & misses the meaning
4 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
without propping them up


Explanation:
I agree with Sharon's explanation, but here's an alternative version.

juliebarba
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 30

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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Changes made by editors
Jan 12, 2008 - Changes made by Transitwrite:
Created KOG entryKudoZ term => KOG term


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