Translation of "年代" in English

In English, the term "年代" can be translated as "era" or "decade" depending on the context in which it is used.

When referring to a specific period of time in history, "年代" can be translated as "era". For example, "清朝是中国历史上的一个重要的年代" can be translated as "The Qing Dynasty was an important era in Chinese history."

Alternatively, when "年代" is used to represent a period of ten years, it can be translated as "decade". For instance, "上个世纪六十年代" can be translated as "the 1960s" in English.

Therefore, the translation of "年代" as "era" or "decade" depends on its context within the sentence.