A sympathizer is someone who agrees with the aims of a political group, movement, or cause, and quietly supports it — but is not a member, and usually is not doing the work. That gap is the whole word. A member joins; a sympathizer approves from the side.

A sympathizer同情者、支持者 is someone who agrees with the aims of a political group, movement, or cause是認同某個政治團體、運動或訴求的目標的人 and quietly supports it並且默默支持它 but is not a member但不是正式成員 and usually is not doing the work通常也沒有在做實際的事 That gap這個落差 is the whole word就是這個詞的全部意思 A member joins成員會加入 a sympathizer approves from the side而 sympathizer 是在旁邊表示贊同

During a strike, the workers are members of the union and the sympathizers are the people in other jobs who think the strike is right and will say so.

During a strike在一場罷工中 the workers are members of the union工人是工會的成員 and the sympathizers are the people in other jobs而 sympathizers 則是其他行業裡的人 who think the strike is right and will say so他們認為這場罷工是對的、而且會說出來

Here is what a dictionary line will not tell you: the word is almost always used by someone who dislikes the cause. Governments talk about rebel sympathizers. Wartime newspapers talked about enemy sympathizers. Police reports say 'known sympathizers'.

Here is what a dictionary line will not tell you有一件字典不會告訴你的事 the word is almost always used by someone who dislikes the cause這個詞幾乎都是不喜歡那個訴求的人在用 Governments talk about政府會說 rebel sympathizers「叛軍的同情者」 Wartime newspapers talked about戰時的報紙會說 enemy sympathizers「敵人的同情者」 Police reports say警方報告會寫 'known sympathizers'「known sympathizers」（已知的同情者）

It is a word of suspicion, and it has a specific and ugly history — in many countries, being labelled a sympathizer was enough to lose your job, your passport, or your freedom, without anyone having to prove you did anything. Taiwan's own martial-law period had this exact pattern.

It它 is a word of suspicion是一個帶著猜疑的詞 and it has a specific and ugly history而且有一段具體又難看的歷史 in many countries在許多國家 being labelled a sympathizer was enough to lose your job, your passport, or your freedom光是被貼上 sympathizer 的標籤，就足以讓你丟了工作、護照，或自由 without anyone having to prove you did anything不需要任何人證明你做了什麼 Taiwan's own martial-law period台灣自己的戒嚴時期 had this exact pattern就有過一模一樣的模式

So when you write 'sympathizer', you are usually standing outside the group and pointing at someone. That means people almost never call themselves one. You say 'I support them' or 'I'm on their side'. If someone does say 'I'm a sympathizer', they are being careful — marking that they agree but have not joined.

So所以 when you write 'sympathizer'當你寫下 sympathizer 這個詞時 you are usually standing outside the group你通常是站在那個團體之外 and pointing at someone指著某個人 That means這也表示 people almost never call themselves one幾乎沒有人會這樣稱呼自己 You say你會說 'I support them'「I support them」（我支持他們） or 'I'm on their side'或是「I'm on their side」（我站在他們那邊） If someone does say 'I'm a sympathizer'如果真的有人說「I'm a sympathizer」（我是同情者） they are being careful那表示他們很謹慎 marking that they agree but have not joined是在表明自己認同、但還沒有加入

Though actually — there is a small neutral corner. In writing about history and politics, sympathizer can just be the accurate technical word for a category of person: 'the party had perhaps 40,000 members and several hundred thousand sympathizers'. No accusation there, just counting. And in older or gentler English you will occasionally meet it meaning simply 'a person who feels sympathy for someone in trouble', with no politics at all — that use has largely faded, but it survives in phrases like 'she found no sympathizers in the room'. Spelling: sympathizer in American English, sympathiser in British.

Though actually不過其實 there is a small neutral corner還是有一個中性的小角落 In writing about history and politics在談歷史和政治的文章裡 sympathizer can just be the accurate technical word for a category of personsympathizer 可以只是用來精確描述一類人的技術性用詞 'the party had perhaps 40,000 members and several hundred thousand sympathizers'像「the party had perhaps 40,000 members and several hundred thousand sympathizers」（這個政黨大概有四萬名成員、數十萬名同情者） No accusation there這裡沒有指控 just counting只是在計數 And in older or gentler English在比較舊、比較溫和的英文裡 you will occasionally meet it meaning simply 'a person who feels sympathy for someone in trouble'你偶爾會看到它單純表示「同情某人處境的人」 with no politics at all完全沒有政治意味 that use has largely faded這個用法已經大致淡出 but it survives in phrases like 'she found no sympathizers in the room'不過還留在像「she found no sympathizers in the room」（她在那個房間裡找不到任何同情她的人）這樣的說法裡 Spelling拼法 sympathizer in American English美式英文寫 sympathizer sympathiser in British英式英文則寫 sympathiser