A troika is a group of three people, or three countries, or three organisations, that work together and hold power together. You meet it mostly in news writing about politics and money: three leaders who run a party between them, or three institutions that together decide the terms of a loan to a country.

A troika Troika is a group of three people, or three countries, or three organisations,指的是三個人、三個國家，或三個組織的組合 that work together and hold power together一起合作、一起掌權的。You meet it mostly in news writing about politics and money:你最常在講政治和金融的新聞報導裡看到它: three leaders who run a party between them,三位共同領導一個政黨的領袖 or three institutions that together decide the terms of a loan to a country或是三個共同決定一筆給某國貸款條件的機構。

It carries a faint sense that this group of three is powerful and acts as one body, and often a faint sense of distance or suspicion too — writers reach for it when the three are deciding something over other people's heads.

It carries a faint sense that this group of three is powerful and acts as one body,它帶著一點「這三個人很有權力、行動一致」的味道 and often a faint sense of distance or suspicion too —也常常帶點疏離或猜疑的味道— writers reach for it作家就會用這個詞 when the three are deciding something over other people's heads當這三方在別人頭上做決定時。

The word is originally Russian, and its first meaning is concrete: a Russian carriage or sleigh pulled by three horses side by side. That older meaning still turns up in stories, in travel writing, and in the names of restaurants. So the picture behind the political sense is three horses harnessed together, pulling one vehicle — which is exactly the feeling the word gives: three separate powers, one direction.

The word is originally Russian,這個詞原本是俄文 and its first meaning is concrete:最初的意思很具體: a Russian carriage or sleigh俄式馬車或雪橇 pulled by three horses side by side由三匹馬並排拉著的。That older meaning still turns up這個較舊的意思仍然會出現 in stories, in travel writing,在故事、旅遊寫作裡 and in the names of restaurants還有餐廳的名字裡。So the picture behind the political sense is所以政治意義背後的畫面就是 three horses harnessed together, pulling one vehicle —三匹馬套在一起拉同一輛車— which is exactly the feeling the word gives:這正是這個詞給人的感覺: three separate powers, one direction三股獨立的力量，同一個方向。

It is a journalist's and a historian's word, not an everyday one. In ordinary speech you would just say "the three of them".

It is a journalist's and a historian's word,這是記者和歷史學家用的詞 not an everyday one不是日常會用的詞。In ordinary speech日常說話 you would just say "the three of them"你就只會說 "the three of them"他們三個。