英语翻译
ThereweresomepeopleinthesouthernpartofGreececalledSpartans,whowerefamousfortheirsimplehabitsandtheirbravery．ThenameoftheareainwhichtheylivedwasLaconia,andsotheywerealsocalledLacons．
OneofthestrangeruleswhichtheLaconshadwasthattheyshouldspeakbriefly,andneverusemorewordsthanwereneeded．Andsoashortanswerisoftenspokenofasalaconicanswer．
TherewasinthenorthernpartofGreecealandcalledMacedon；andthislandwasatonetimeruledoverbyawarlikekingnamedPhilip．
PhilipwantedtobecomethemasterofallGreece．Soheraisedagreatarmy,andmadewarupontheotherstates,untilnearlyallofthemwereforcedtocallhimtheirking．ThenhesentalettertotheSpartansinLaconia,saying,“IfIgodownintoyourcountry,Iwilllevelyourgreatcitytotheground．”
Inafewdays,ananswerwasbroughtbacktohim．Whenheopenedtheletter,hefoundtherewasonlyoneword．atwordwas“IF”