# Why were the days of old better than these?

The person asks this rhetorical question in order to complain about the present time. This question can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "Things were better in the past than they are now." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

# it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question

Here the author uses irony to rebuke the person's question. Alternate translation: "if you were wise you would not ask this question" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-irony]])