In the nineteenth century,

在十九世纪
Europe experienced a major population growth,

欧洲经历了一个人口增长期
and cholera had little impact on the population surge.

而霍乱对人口增长影响甚微
Let's take again the example of Naples,

我们继续用那不勒斯做例子
a city famous for its overcrowding,

这是一个以拥挤肮脏和
its filth and its recurring epidemics of Asiatic cholera.

不断爆发霍乱而闻名的城市
Let's compare it also with an earlier experience of bubonic plague.

我们比较这和该城之前爆发腺鼠疫的情形
Naples experienced a terrible epidemic of plague in 1656.

那不勒斯在1656年经历了可怕的瘟疫
At that time the city had about a population numbering

当时的城市人口
perhaps half-a-million people.

约为五十万
The state wasn't very good at knowing exactly

当时国家没法确切统计
how many people lived in the city,

城市的人口数量