Here is a common quote from Plato:
“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferior!”
Unfortunately it is a bastardization of a much longer quote that is probably translated as:
“If the decent are not willing to rule, they are punished by being ruled by worse men.”
Here is someones full translation that is almost unreadable:
“Hence, necessity and a penalty must be there in addition for them, if they are going to be willing to rule – it is likely that this is the source of its being held to be shameful to seek to rule and not to await necessity – and the greatest of penalties is being ruled by a worse man if one is not willing to rule oneself.“
This came to my mind when a friend posted on Facebook: “Con esperanza intermitente” which the new Facebook translator said in English was “With intermittent hope” but I think really means “with a bit if hope”
It is hard to know what people mean in English let alone in other languages.
Even translations have biases.