but no more, not to satisfy their appetite.

但不会很多满足不了他们的胃口
This is meant to make them, first of all,

这是为了让他们首先
to make them lean and tough

是为了把他们变得消瘦而结实
but also to accustom them to the hardships of a campaign

但也是为了让他们适应军旅生活的艰辛
and basically to make them tough.

总之要把他们磨练得坚韧不拔
They, therefore, are constantly on the hunt for food

因此他们经常要去找吃的
and the funny thing is that

而有趣的是
the ethos of the situation was this,

当时的风气就是
that it was understood

这是很好理解的
they would try to steal whatever they could.

就是让他们去偷任何他们偷得到的东西
It's hard for me to know where they would find things to steal

我很难想象他们怎么找到能偷的东西
and how to steal it,

又是怎么偷到东西的