and let me also say that they came to the meeting

并且他们参会时
dressed in their military uniform,

需要穿着他们的军装
apparently including their shields,

还要携带着他们的盾牌
because when a question was put to the Spartans, the way they responded

因为在斯巴达一旦一项议事提出
was by shouting and banging on their shields.

他们需要通过大声喊叫或猛击盾牌来做出回应
Whereupon, the presiding official would try to determine

因此大会主持人做出的判断
which side had the loudest noise.

需要仔细听辨哪一方声音更大
It's like a voice vote in one of our own meetings,

这就有点像我们某些会议上的口头表决
only a little bit more colorful.

但比那个有趣多了
And only, of course,

当然
if the presiding official decided

如果大会主持人
that he couldn't tell which side had the most noise,

无法分辨哪方声音更大