The United Nations — the big international organisation that almost every country in the world belongs to. It was set up in 1945, right after the Second World War, by countries who had just seen how badly things could go and wanted somewhere to talk before fighting. Its main offices are in New York City.

The United Nations聯合國 — almost幾乎 in the world世界上 every country每個國家 belongs to都加入的 the big international organisation那個大型國際組織。It它 in 1945在1945年 right after the Second World War、二次世界大戰剛結束後， by由一群 who had just seen剛親眼見過 how badly things could go事情能壞到什麼地步、 and wanted又想要 before fighting在開打之前 somewhere to talk有個地方先談的 countries國家 was set up成立。Its main offices它的主要辦公處 are in New York City在紐約市

Its work is wider than just stopping wars: it sends peacekeeping troops, coordinates disaster relief, runs refugee programmes, and sets health and human-rights standards, and a whole set of other bodies sit under it — the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO.

Its work它的工作 than just stopping wars比單單阻止戰爭 is wider更廣： it sends peacekeeping troops它派維和部隊、 coordinates disaster relief協調救災、 runs refugee programmes辦難民計畫、 and sets health and human-rights standards並訂定健康與人權的標準， and a whole set of other bodies還有一整組其他機構 sit under it在它底下 — the World Bank世界銀行、 the World Health Organization世界衛生組織、 UNICEF聯合國兒童基金會、 UNESCO聯合國教科文組織

You say it letter by letter, U-N, and it takes the: the UN.

You say it letter by letter你把它一個字母一個字母唸， U-N， and it takes the而且它前面要加 the： the UN

It is worth knowing that the UN cannot force a country to do anything the way a government forces its citizens; it works by agreement, pressure, and sometimes a Security Council vote, which is why people often complain it is slow or weak.

It is worth knowing that值得知道的是： the UN聯合國 cannot沒辦法 the way a government forces its citizens像政府強制自己人民那樣 force a country to do anything強制一個國家做任何事； it它 by agreement, pressure靠協議、壓力， and sometimes a Security Council vote有時靠安全理事會的一次投票 works來運作， which is why這也是為什麼 people often complain人們常抱怨 it is slow or weak它慢或弱

Newspapers write both UN and U.N., the second more common in American papers.

Newspapers報紙 write both UN and U.N.兩種都寫：UN 和 U.N.， the second第二種 in American papers在美國報紙 more common比較常見