How do I help translate a neighbour's form without choosing answers I don't understand?
Neighbours“You know the words better than I do,” my neighbour said, pointing to a box on a council application form. “Which one should I tick?”
I speak both languages we were using, so I had offered to help her read the letter. The deadline and the list of documents were clear enough. One term about who qualified wasn't clear to either of us.
I said we should ask the council what that term meant in her circumstances. She thought I was withdrawing the help halfway through. She had arranged her afternoon around getting the form finished with me, and I could see why another call felt like a setback.
I am happy to sit with her while she asks or help write the question. I am not comfortable selecting an answer because she trusts my English more than hers.
How do I explain that difference without making her feel abandoned? I can translate the question in front of us; I can't turn my guess about the answer into something she relies on.