iron ration

iron rations

eiserne Ration

What that means is that people had to refrain from doing something perfectly rational – that is, saving a person from drowning – because, at that time, the Iron Curtain was in place and political considerations prevented them from doing so.

Das heißt, eine an sich vernünftige Handlung, nämlich einen Ertrinkenden zu retten, musste aus politischen Gründen unterbleiben, weil es damals den Eisernen Vorhang gab.