estaban decretando
-they/you were decreeing
Imperfect progressiveellos/ellas/ustedesconjugation ofdecretar.

decretar

No se daban cuenta, entonces lo intuí confusamente, y ahora, cargado ya de años y experiencia, lo sé con seguridadde que al obrar de ese modo estaban decretando la ruina de lo que constituía su propia excelencia.
And they did not realize, as I sensed vaguely at that moment (and know clearly today, now aged in years and experience), that in doing so they sanctioned the destruction of their excellence.
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