Proper translation of 'bear with me'

Question

Here, 'bear with me' is usually translated with some form of 'supporter' but that doesn't sound right to me. There are some machine translations or bad translations on this site. I think 'soyez patient avec moi' is the better translation, am I right? Just to be clear, 'bear with me' is usually used when you're trying to get something done, you're not very good at it and so you ask those who depend on you to be patient while you get the difficult task done.

Answer 1

Larousse En-Fr online gives "je vous demande un peu de patience" for "if you'll just bear with me a minute". For "please bear with me a moment while I connect you to his office" I could say "je vous prie de patienter un instant pendant que je vous transfère". Wiktionnaire also has literally both "patientez" and "sois indulgent avec moi" for "please bear with me"; I prefer "je vous prierais d'être indulgent/de faire preuve d'indulgence avec moi". With the idea of being forbearing with someone (about something they did wrong) you could have "je vous prie de ne pas m'en tenir rigueur" or "...de ne pas vous en formaliser". In other instances it could be "si vous me (le) permettez" or "si vous me donnez un moment" or even "je vous invite à tenir bon, à garder le cap, à persévérer". Context and association with either of patience, indulgence, being forbearing with someone or continuing something difficult will steer how you would translate this in my opinion.

Answer 2

One translation that occurs often is, not "soyez patient avec moi", but "veuillez patienter" (basically), which is much different.

(Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence of the Standing Committee on Labour…) Mr. Chairman, if I might, I have certain opening remarks I would like to make concerning the department and, if members will bear with me, I will attempt to get through them as quickly as possible.

I believe that is the simplest, most factual meaning of "bear with s.o.".

There is a second one, not as easily made out, which corresponds to "être patient avec qqn", which means "not to rush things, and be careful not to hurt that person's feelings".

(Harper's New Monthly Magazin - 1864) His preceptor knew of this , but bore with him for the family's sake , and did all that a man could to reform him without avail

There is finally a third one I can identify, which is not easy to see and to handle either.

It can be found typically in the discourse of lecturers and authors when they are about to explain something; then there is something more involved than the idea of being patient. What is implied is the idea that the locutor is asking the people he adresses to keep their attention up and of rely on the development that will follow and to give this development some credit in reason of its usefulness instead of dismissing it rashly or prematurely, this with the promise that the effort will be rewarding. In this second case the translation could hardly be "veuillez patienter" and would rather be "soyez patient avec moi"; however this latter leans too much on an act of leniency that the locutor would be asking from the interlocutor, and this is not a connotation in the locutor's "bear with me". As strange as it seems Harrap's Dictionary gives "être indulgent" as a translation of "bear with s. o." in an unspecified context. In my opinion that is not what is needed, and there is no single translation that could be the best.

Here is an instance.

• You'll have to bear with me on this next part before we get to the core of the subject.
  Je vais vous demander de suivre patiemment les explications à venir avant que nous atteignions le vif du sujet.
  Je vais vous demander de vous accrocher pour la partie suivante avant que nous atteignions le vif du sujet. ((TLFi) 2. Emploi abs. ne pas céder // The idea that an effort is being asked of the listener is stronger and more explicit than in the preceding case.)