We are wordsmiths: Julia Harwardt

In this issue: Julia Harwardt, Senior Editor and Translator

 

• What is your goal for 2021?

To be kinder and more generous, not just to others but also to myself. It’s in times like these that we really notice how quick we are to voice such big ideas but then how we often end up doing quite the opposite. That’s an area where I’m striving for self-improvement.

 

• Over the course of your career, have you noticed specific changes in language usage?

Many of the experiences and observations that my colleagues have already talked about in their interviews are, of course, also familiar to me. A more recent development is gender-neutral language, which, in the spirit of diversity, I personally very much welcome and try to apply both in private and in professional contexts. Here’s just one example: in German, all nouns are gendered, so you have Mitarbeiter (male employees) and Mitarbeiterinnen (female employees). When talking about a mixed-gender group of employees, the default solution has always been to use the generic masculine. Now, though, there’s a shift towards using an inclusive, neutral term – Mitarbeitende. This might seem like a small step, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. I’m not quite clued up on all the different permutations of gender-sensitive or gender-inclusive language yet, but I’m working on it.

 

• What animal are you tempted to translate literally?

Drosophila melanogaster – a surprisingly lyrical and dulcet-sounding name for those pesky fruit flies that descend on my fruit bowl every summer much to my annoyance! That said, ever since I found out about their contribution to scientific research,  I’ve become more sympathetic towards the critters, whose name literally translates as “dew-loving black-bellies”.

 

• Is the glass half full or half empty?

I have to admit that it took me a surprisingly long time to answer this question. My first instinct is to go with the optimistic “half full”, but on reflection, I realise that would be too hasty an answer, since in fact I generally tend to focus on what’s not there (anymore). Maybe that’s something to consider for Question 1: greater appreciation for what I do have.

 

• Working from home: Yes or no?

I’ve worked from home for several years now, and even after all this time I’m still happy with my setup. Having said that, I can’t wait for our first in-person team meeting after more than a year of the pandemic, and for more contact with people again in general. Even I start to get cabin fever at some point.

 

• Lake or ocean?

Neither. For me, it’s the river. 😊