A Lecture by the Eminent Italian Writer Umberto Eco
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Alexandria—“
Dr. Umberto Eco gave a lecture on 1 November at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Vegetal and Mineral Memory: The Future of Books and met
with Alexandrian scholars and BA staff.
The conference hall at the library was
filled with audience of various age groups, different nationalities and
affiliations. They all came to see and hear Dr. Eco explain his views about new
technologies, and how the Internet could catapult the book industry, not
“kill” the book as many fear. He added that it will necessarily change some
characteristics of the traditional book and its production process but not by
any means hinder its cultural role. He also argued that intellectuals tend to
view the whole matter in very dramatic and passionate way, they do not consider
it from an objective and analytical point of view
Professor Eco was asked his opinion regarding the efficiency and reliability of
computer translations. He said that till now “computer- based translations are
ridiculous and comic”. He believes that translation is still a human job
because it is not mere transformation from one language to the other, but it is
transforming one culture to the other. He was also
asked about hypertext and its effect on future generations. He said that it is
very difficult for young people to discriminate reliable from unreliable sources
of information. The only way is arousing their sense of suspicion in the
information available on the Internet so that they would be more careful while
using it.
Umberto Eco is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the BA.
He is currently a member of the Board of Advisors of the Library.
He was born in Alessandria (Piemonte), Italy, January 5, 1932. He got a doctoral
degree in Philosophy at the University of Torino, Italy 1954. He received 30
honorary academic degrees from international universities. He was decorated and
awarded over 16 times by organizations and universities all over the world.
Opera aperta, A theory of Semiotics, The Role of the Reader, Il nome della rosa
are some of his most prominent works.