A person whose job is sociology — studying how groups of people live together and why they behave the way they do. A sociologist does not usually treat one person at a time, the way a doctor or a counsellor does.

A person一種人 whose job is sociology他的工作是社會學——studying how groups of people live together研究一群一群的人怎麼生活在一起，and why they behave the way they do以及他們為什麼會那樣表現。A sociologist社會學家 does not usually treat one person at a time通常不會一次只看一個人，the way a doctor or a counsellor does不像醫生或諮商師那樣。

They look at patterns: why more people in one neighbourhood leave school early, how families have changed in fifty years, why a rumour spreads. Most work at universities, but some work for governments, companies, or research groups, doing surveys, interviews, and long observation.

They他們 look at patterns看的是模式：why more people in one neighbourhood leave school early像為什麼某個社區比較多人早早輟學、how families have changed in fifty years家庭這五十年來怎麼變、why a rumour spreads謠言為什麼會傳開。Most大部分人 work at universities在大學工作，but不過 some work for governments, companies, or research groups也有人在政府、公司或研究機構工作，doing surveys, interviews, and long observation做問卷調查、訪談，還有長時間的觀察。

In everyday talk, people sometimes say 'sociologists say…' the way they say 'experts say…' — as a way to make a claim sound backed up, and it is worth asking which sociologists and what study. There is a small joke in English about sociologists explaining the obvious in complicated words; you may meet that tone.

In everyday talk日常講話裡，people有時候人們 sometimes say 'sociologists say…'會說「sociologists say…」，the way they say 'experts say…'就像說「experts say…」一樣——as a way to make a claim sound backed up用來讓一個說法聽起來有根據，and而 it is worth asking which sociologists and what study值得問一句是哪些社會學家、哪個研究。There有 is a small joke in English英文裡有個小笑話，about sociologists explaining the obvious in complicated words說社會學家用複雜的字把顯而易見的事講一遍；you你可能 may meet that tone會遇到這種語氣。

Note the -ist: it names the person, not the subject.

Note注意 the -ist字尾的 -ist：it names the person它指的是「這種人」，not the subject不是這門學科本身。