and let's say crops failed

假如某年收成不好
and lots of farmers wouldn't be able to pay off their loans,

大批农民无力偿还债务
you would have lots of the society in deep debt.

整个社会都会债台高筑
And the king, periodically,

而国王会定期
would decree all debts null and void, so wiping the slate clean.

颁布债务无效的法令使其一笔勾销
So here is a fragment by edict Samsu-iluna,

这是萨姆苏伊鲁纳法典中的一部分
who was the son of Hammurabi,

他是汉谟拉比的儿子
who, by the way, lived in the city

顺带一提耶鲁有支考察队
that Yale has had a long time expedition to

一直在对他的故居地塔尔阿隆
excavate called Tal Alon.

进行勘察
Anyway this is releasing everybody

总之债务奴隶制
from bankruptcy in the form of debt slavery.

把人们从破产中解救出来