seemed to have had to be consulted

谁能够做出决策的问题上
when it came to a question of fighting,

存在着很大的分歧
and so you always had an assembly, even in an aristocratic state,

因此你需要一个议会即使是一个贵族议会
but decisions in general were made by aristocrats.

实际上日常决策都是贵族们制定的
Moreover, the law was interpreted, spoken,

甚至连法律的诠释和定义
and to the degree it had to be enforced

也是受到议会里的
by the aristocrats working through a council in their community,

贵族强有力的控制的
and these councils might have been elective

这些议员可能是从
from within the aristocracy

贵族中推选出来的代表
or they could have been simply the whole aristocracy,

也可能直接是贵族集体
depending really on the size of the community,

这和团体的大小有关
because you can't have a council functioning

因为如果议会过于庞大