Not run by, and not controlled by, a government. You will meet this word almost entirely in one place: the phrase "non-governmental organization", usually shortened to NGO.

Not run by, and not controlled by, a government不是由政府經營、也不是由政府控制的。You will meet this word almost entirely in one place你幾乎只會在一個地方看到這個字：the phrase “non-governmental organization”就是“non-governmental organization”這個片語，usually shortened to NGO通常簡稱NGO。

An NGO is a group that works on something public — poverty, human rights, disaster relief, the environment, education — but is not part of any government's machinery. Greenpeace, the Red Cross, Amnesty International, Oxfam: all NGOs.

An NGO is a group that works on something publicAn NGO是一個致力於公共議題的團體——poverty, human rights, disaster relief, the environment, education像貧窮、人權、災難救助、環境、教育——but is not part of any government's machinery但不屬於任何政府機構的一部分。Greenpeace, the Red Cross, Amnesty International, OxfamGreenpeace、紅十字會、國際特赦組織、Oxfam：all NGOs全部都是NGO。

The word is formal and a little bureaucratic. It was made in the world of the United Nations, and it still smells of that world — you see it in reports, applications for funding, and news about international aid. In ordinary talk, people simply say "an NGO" or name the group.

The word is formal and a little bureaucratic這個字很正式，帶點官僚味。It was made in the world of the United Nations它是在聯合國的世界裡被創造出來的，and it still smells of that world而且還帶著那個世界的味道——you see it in reports, applications for funding, and news about international aid你會在報告、募款申請書、和國際援助新聞裡看到它。In ordinary talk在日常對話裡，people simply say “an NGO” or name the group大家就直接說“an NGO”或講那個團體的名字。

One honest wrinkle: the label says only what the group is NOT. It does not promise the group is small, poor, kind, or independent-minded. Many large NGOs take most of their money from governments, and some governments quietly set up their own "NGOs" so the label is doing very little work. So when you read that a group is non-governmental, you have learned one fact about its legal shape, not a fact about its character.

One honest wrinkle有一個誠實的小提醒：the label says only what the group is NOT這個標籤只說了這個團體不是什麼。It does not promise the group is small, poor, kind, or independent-minded它並不保證這個團體是小的、窮的、善良的、或獨立特行的。Many large NGOs take most of their money from governments很多大型NGO的錢大部分來自政府，and some governments quietly set up their own “NGOs”而且有些政府會悄悄設立自己的“NGO”，so the label is doing very little work所以這個標籤其實沒發揮什麼作用。So when you read that a group is non-governmental所以當你讀到一個團體是non-governmental時，you have learned one fact about its legal shape你只是知道了它法律地位上的一個事實，not a fact about its character而不是關於它性格的事實。

Occasionally you meet it outside that fixed phrase — "non-governmental funding", "non-governmental bodies" — but even there it is heavy, official-sounding English. Written both with and without the hyphen; "nongovernmental" is standard in American documents.

Occasionally you meet it outside that fixed phrase偶爾你會在那個固定片語以外看到它——“non-governmental funding”, “non-governmental bodies”像“non-governmental funding”、“non-governmental bodies”——but even there it is heavy, official-sounding English但就算在那裡，也是很沉重、官方腔的英文。Written both with and without the hyphen有連字號和沒有連字號的寫法都有；“nongovernmental” is standard in American documents“nongovernmental”（沒有連字號）是美國文件裡的標準寫法。