Totalitarianism is a way of running a country where the government controls everything, and ordinary people have no power at all. Not just the laws and the police — also the newspapers, the schools, the films, the songs, what you are allowed to say at dinner, sometimes even what you are supposed to believe inside your own head.

Totalitarianism極權主義 is a way of running a country是一種治理國家的方式，where the government controls everything政府控制一切，and ordinary people而一般人 have no power at all完全沒有權力。Not just不只是 the laws and the police法律和警察，also還有 the newspapers, the schools, the films, the songs報紙、學校、電影、歌曲、what you are allowed to say at dinner你在餐桌上被允許說的話，sometimes even有時候甚至 what you are supposed to believe inside your own head你腦子裡該相信的東西。

One party rules, and there is no real way to vote it out. Usually there is one leader whose picture is everywhere.

One party一黨 rules專政，and there is no real way而且沒有真正的辦法 to vote it out能把它投票下台。Usually通常 there is one leader會有一個領袖 whose picture他的照片 is everywhere到處都是。

Students often think it just means "a very strict government", but there is a line worth seeing. Many governments are harsh and lock up people who complain — that is usually called a dictatorship, or authoritarian rule. Totalitarianism is the stronger word: the government does not only want obedience, it wants your whole life inside its system. The old joke is that under an authoritarian government, everything that is not forbidden is allowed; under a totalitarian one, everything that is not ordered is forbidden.

Students often think學生常以為 it just means "a very strict government"這個字只是指「很嚴格的政府」，but there is a line worth seeing但其實有一條界線值得注意。Many governments are harsh很多政府很兇 and lock up people who complain會把抱怨的人抓起來——that is usually called這通常叫做 a dictatorship, or authoritarian rule獨裁，或威權統治。Totalitarianism是更強烈的字：the government does not only want obedience政府要的不只是服從，it wants your whole life inside its system而是要把你整個生活都納入它的體系。The old joke is老笑話說，under an authoritarian government在威權政府底下 everything that is not forbidden is allowed凡是沒被禁止的都可以做；under a totalitarian one在極權政府底下 everything that is not ordered is forbidden凡是沒被命令的都是禁止的。

The word is formal and serious. You meet it in history class, in the news, and in books — Nazi Germany, Stalin's Soviet Union, and North Korea are the examples people reach for most. It is a heavy accusation, so be careful using it loosely; in everyday argument people do throw it at any rule they dislike ("this is totalitarianism!" about a school phone ban), and that use is an exaggeration on purpose.

The word is formal and serious這個字正式又嚴肅。You meet it你會遇到它 in history class, in the news, and in books在歷史課、新聞、書裡——Nazi Germany, Stalin's Soviet Union, and North Korea納粹德國、史達林的蘇聯、北韓 are the examples people reach for most是大家最常舉的例子。It is a heavy accusation這是很重的指控，so be careful using it loosely所以用的時候要小心，不要隨便亂用；in everyday argument people do throw it at any rule they dislike日常爭論裡，人們真的會把它扣在任何自己不喜歡的規定上（"this is totalitarianism!" about a school phone ban例如對著學校的禁用手機規定說「這根本是極權主義！」），and that use is an exaggeration on purpose而這種用法是故意誇張的。

The adjective is *totalitarian*: a totalitarian state, a totalitarian regime.

The adjective is形容詞是 *totalitarian*：a totalitarian state極權國家，a totalitarian regime極權政權。