In this case defined chiefly by their intelligence,

这主要取决于他们的才能
but other things too. Well, anyway in this case,

不过也包含其他方面不管怎样
in Greek political thinking

那个时候在希腊人的政治思维中
the aristocracy of birth is the default position.

贵族统治就是初始的状态
Anybody who wants to argue for a different kind of political arrangement

任何人如果想要支持其他不同的政治构成
will have to make the case uphill against all tradition.

必须要冲破一切传统阻力
I hope that you'll have that in the back of your head

我希望当我们讲到雅典神话
when we get to the story of Athens

以及民主制的诞生时你们还记得这点
and the invention of democracy, because it was off the wall

因为从希腊人的传统观点来看
from the perspective of Greek tradition.

这是很不寻常的
And of course, anybody from time to time,

当然时不时也会有人认为
there are individuals who thought that monarchy might be a fine thing.

君主制可能也不错