Isn't that a completely subjective judgment,

那不是完全的主观判断吗
what one thinks is the best regime?

个人所认为的最佳政体是什么
How could one begin such a study?

一个人如何开始这样的研究
Is the best regime, as the ancients tended to believe,

最佳政体是这样吗就如古人常信
Plato, Aristotle, and others, is it an aristocratic republic

柏拉图亚里士多德及其他人是
in which only the few best habitually rule;

一种贵族式共和由少数人日常统治
or is the best regime as the moderns believe,

或最佳政体就如现代人深信的
a democratic republic where

是一种民主式共和
in principle political office is open to all by virtue of their

原则上政治职务向所有人开放
membership in society alone?

依据他们个人在社会的资格
Will the best regime be a small closed society that through

最佳政体将会是一个小型封闭社会吗
generations has made a supreme sacrifice towards self-perfection?

多代后已壮烈牺牲于自我完善中