Classical wisdom should illuminate humanity's path forward and address key questions of our time, including how to keep our world in peace and order, according to an initiative announced at the closing ceremony of the Second World Conference of Classics in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday.

周三，第二届世界古典学大会在希腊雅典落下帷幕，会上发布一项倡议。该倡议提出，古典智慧应为人类前行之路指引方向，并解答当今时代的核心问题，其中就包括如何维护世界的和平与秩序。

Surrounded by stunning frescoes depicting Prometheus stealing the fire to enlighten the human world at the Academy of Athens, over 200 scholars from Asia, Europe, America and Africa engaged in in-depth discussions to reach the consensus regarding the role of classical studies in safeguarding the future of humanity.

雅典学院内，精美壁画描绘着普罗米修斯盗火启迪人间的场景。来自亚、欧、美、非四大洲的200余名学者在此展开深入探讨，就古典学研究在守护人类未来中扮演的角色达成共识。

"Only by knowing where we come from can we understand where we stand today and where we are heading," said the initiative.

倡议中写道：知来路，方能明当下、知前行。

It urged "harnessing the power of virtues in classical wisdom" to remain steadfast on the right course of civilization, "promoting friendship and coexistence" to build a home for our shared future of humanity, "safeguarding peace and order" to strengthen the foundations of future security, and "cultivating humanistic values in the digital age" to guide technological progress.

倡议呼吁：汲取古典智慧中的美德力量，坚守文明正道；倡导友好共处，共建人类命运共同体；维护和平秩序，筑牢未来安全根基；培育数字时代的人文价值，引领科技向善发展。

"We are confident that classical studies will provide an inexhaustible source of wisdom and strength for humanity's peace, development and shared future," it said.

倡议表示：我们坚信，古典学研究将为人类的和平、发展与共同未来，源源不断地提供智慧与力量。

Scholars told China Daily that it was the right time for Chinese and Greek academies to co-host the conference in Athens, which is also a symbolic city of dialogue in ancient history, as the world experiences fundamental changes and rising conflicts of interests and ideologies.

多位学者在接受《中国日报》采访时表示，当下世界格局发生深刻变革，利益与意识形态冲突不断加剧，中希学界携手在雅典举办此次大会恰逢其时。雅典自古便是文明对话的象征之城。

Roger Ames, humanities chair professor at Peking University and vice-president of the International Confucian Association, said the world should congratulate China for helping to shift the world's conversation from geopolitics to civilization.

北京大学人文讲席教授、国际儒学联合会副会长罗杰·艾姆斯表示，中国推动全球议题从地缘政治转向文明交流，值得世界为之称赞。

"What China has been doing for the last 20 years is promoting a civilizational dialogue where we talk not about money and military power, but about family, values, shared histories, and what we want for our grandchildren," he added.

他补充道：“过去二十年间，中国一直在推动文明对话。对话的核心不再是财富与军力，而是家庭、价值观、共同的历史，以及我们想留给后代的未来。”

Amphilochios Papathomas, a professor of ancient Greek literature and papyrology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said the escalation of conflicts can be avoided through dialogue.

雅典国立及卡波迪斯特里亚大学古希腊文学与纸草学教授安菲洛希奥斯·帕帕索马斯认为，依靠对话能够避免冲突不断升级。

"What we have learned from classical authors, like Thucydides, is that we have to be very cautious to avoid a military and political escalation," he said.

他说：“从修昔底德等古典先贤的著作中我们领悟到，必须谨言慎行，防止军事与政治冲突持续升级。”

Papathomas added that the peaceful shift in the balance of power between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 20th century showed it was possible to avoid the "Thucydides Trap" of military conflict because the two countries had mutual respect.

帕帕索马斯还提到，20世纪初英美两国实现权力格局的和平更迭，印证了只要两国相互尊重，就能够规避引发军事冲突的“修昔底德陷阱”。

"If we achieve that between East and West by studying Eastern classics and Western classics, we will be able to get rid of this 'Thucydides Trap' and construct a very peaceful and prosperous future for the generations to come," he said.

他表示：“倘若东西方能够通过研习东西方经典做到彼此尊重，就能跳出‘修昔底德陷阱’，为子孙后代打造一个和平繁荣的未来。”

Hu Yujuan, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World History, said that war cannot be ended by war but by love and benevolence.

中国社会科学院世界历史研究所资深研究员胡玉娟表示，以战止战终无出路，唯有仁爱方能终结纷争。

She noted that the ancient Roman Empire once revered Mars, the god of war, and achieved only a temporary form of "peace through war". However, after turning to worship Venus, the goddess of love, it entered a period of lasting stability known as the "Pax Romana", a roughly 200-year era of peace and stability.

她指出，古罗马帝国曾尊崇战神玛尔斯，依靠战争换来的和平转瞬即逝。而当帝国转而信奉爱神维纳斯后，便迎来了长达约两百年、长治久安的“罗马和平”时代。

"Classical wisdom tells us that violence cannot resolve all conflicts," Hu said. "Only the power of love can eliminate conflict and lead to harmony."

胡玉娟说道：“古典智慧昭示我们，暴力无法化解所有矛盾。唯有爱的力量，才能消弭纷争、促成和谐。”

1. illuminate /ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/照亮；阐明，启迪

2. fresco /ˈfreskəʊ/壁画