It all reminds me of a wonderful footnote in a book

这让我想起来了一条非常精彩的注解
about English History from 1914 to 1945 by A.J.P. Taylor.

出自泰勒所著的《英国史1914-1945》
Some of the best stuff was in his footnotes

其实他的注解要比正文精彩
and this one says--he was telling about

有一条他描述了
the drop of the birth rate in England,

十九世纪末二十世纪初
late nineteenth, early twentieth century, which he says,

英国出生率下降的问题他写道
that it was not accompanied by a growth of knowledge

这不是因为知识水平的提高
of or use of contraceptive devices,

或者是避孕措施很好
and he concludes anybody who studies in England in this period

然后他总结道任何研究这段历史的人
must realize that he is dealing with a deeply frustrated people.

都会意识到他们在研究颓废的一代
Well, if that's true of the British,

如果英国的情况属实
I mean think of what life in Sparta

那么想想在斯巴达社会中