A group of companies that agree, often quietly, to sell something at the same high price, or to share the market, so they do not really compete. The point is to make more money by stopping a fight over price.

A group of companies一群公司 often quietly通常私下 that agree彼此同意 to sell something at the same high price用同樣的高價賣東西 or to share the market或瓜分市場 so they do not really compete這樣就不用真的競爭 The point is重點是 to make more money賺更多錢 by stopping a fight over price靠著不讓大家為了價格競爭

Economists and newspapers use it in this business sense; it sounds serious, and it is not a compliment.

Economists and newspapers經濟學家和報紙 in this business sense在這個商業意義上 use it使用這個詞 it sounds serious聽起來很嚴肅 and it is not a compliment而且不是稱讚

Though actually, the cartel you hear about most in the news now is a drug cartel: a powerful criminal group that controls the trade in illegal drugs. That is a later use of the same idea — a tight group holding a market.

Though actually不過事實上 the cartel you hear about most in the news now現在新聞裡最常聽到的卡特爾 is a drug cartel是毒品卡特爾 a powerful criminal group一個強大的犯罪集團 that controls the trade in illegal drugs控制非法毒品交易 That is那 a later use of the same idea是同一個概念後來的用法 a tight group holding a market一個掌控市場的緊密集團

There is also an older political sense: a written agreement between sides, and even, hundreds of years ago, a written challenge to a duel.

There is also還有 an older political sense一個更早的政治意義 a written agreement between sides雙方之間的書面協議 and even, hundreds of years ago甚至在幾百年前 a written challenge to a duel一份決鬥的書面挑戰書

Students almost always meet the business or crime meaning.

Students學生 almost always幾乎總是 meet the business or crime meaning遇到的是商業或犯罪的意思