以色列已归还22件从希腊非法带走的古代文物，这是两国之间首次此类文物归还行动。
Israel has returned 22 ancient Greek artifacts that were illegally removed from Greece, marking the first such repatriation between the two countries.
希腊雅典消息：周二，以色列归还了22件曾被非法带出希腊的古代文物。目前雅典正加大国际层面的文物追索力度，旨在最终让那些从雅典卫城被掠走的雕塑重归故土。
THANASSIS STAVRAKIS, DEREK GATOPOULOS ATHENS, Greece — Israel on Tuesday returned 22 ancient artifacts that had been illegally removed from Greece as Athens steps up an international repatriation campaign ultimately aimed at securing the return of sculptures taken from the Acropolis.
在雅典国家考古博物馆举行的仪式上，希腊文化部长莉娜·门多尼从以色列文物局及其防盗部门主任阿米尔·加诺尔手中接过了这些文物。
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni received the objects from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Amir Ganor, director of its theft prevention division, at a ceremony held at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
门多尼表示：“这是以色列首次向希腊归还文物，标志着两国在文化遗产保护领域的合作迈出了新步伐。每一件文物回归原属地都具有深远的象征意义与道德价值。”这批文物中包括一尊小型青铜女性雕像，以及各类陶器——其中有细长的油瓶、双耳罐和装饰着神话场景与几何图案的酒杯。经初步鉴定，这些文物的年代大约在公元前700年至公元前320年之间。
“It is the first time that Israel has returned antiquities to Greece, marking the starting point of closer cooperation between the two countries for the protection of cultural heritage,” Mendoni said. “Every return of a cultural object to its place of origin has a broader symbolic and moral dimension.”The collection includes a small bronze statuette of a woman and pottery comprising slender oil flasks, two-handled amphorae and drinking cups decorated with mythological scenes and geometric motifs. The objects are provisionally dated to between about 700 B.C. and 320 B.C.
此次文物归还行动是希腊为促成帕特农神庙浮雕回归而采取的举措之一。这些拥有2500年历史的雕塑原本位于雅典卫城，如今却陈列在伦敦的大英博物馆中。
Athens is broadening bilateral cultural ties as part of its campaign to secure the return of the Parthenon Marbles The 2,500-year-old sculptures were removed from the Acropolis and are now displayed at the British Museum in London.
近年来，在希腊现任保守派政府的推动下，希以两国在能源与国防领域的合作日益密切。今年8月，以色列与希腊签署了一项价值30亿欧元（约合35亿美元）的协议，将在希腊建造一套防空系统，该计划被命名为“阿喀琉斯之盾”，据称这也是两国间规模最大的国防合作项目。
Greece, under its current conservative government, and Israel have strengthened energy and defense ties in recent years. In August, Israel signed a 3 billion euro (about $3.5 billion) deal to build an air defense system in Greece, dubbed Achilles Shield in what was described as the largest defense deal between the two countries.
周二，希腊与以色列官员并未透露这些文物是在以色列如何被发现的，也未说明它们是如何被非法从希腊带走的。在以往的案例中，从海外私人收藏处返还的文物往往可追溯到非法挖掘的源头。
Greek and Israeli officials on Tuesday did not disclose how the artifacts were discovered in Israel or the circumstances of their illegal removal from Greece. In previous cases, antiquities returned from private collections abroad have often been traced to illicit excavations.
以色列驻希腊大使普尼纳特·亚奈表示，这些文物是在“以色列当局针对非法文物交易所开展的调查”中被查获的。她补充道：“在希腊和以色列，考古学在国民生活中占据着特殊地位。它有助于我们了解自己的起源与身份。”
Pninat Yanay, the Israeli ambassador to Greece, said the items were recovered during an “investigation by the Israeli authorities into the illegal antiquities trade.”She added: “In both Greece and Israel, archaeology has a special place in national life. It helps us understand where we came from and who we are.”