An oligopoly is a market where only a very small number of companies control almost all the business, so a new firm finds it hard to come in and compete.

An oligopoly is a marketOligopoly是一種市場 where only a very small number of companies裡面只有非常少數的幾家公司 control almost all the business掌控幾乎全部的生意 so a new firm finds it hard所以新公司很難 to come in and compete擠進來競爭

It is not the same as a monopoly: a monopoly is one seller with nearly all the power; an oligopoly is a handful. Phone networks, big oil, and sometimes airlines get described this way.

It is not the same as a monopoly它跟monopoly不一樣 a monopoly is one sellermonopoly是只有一個賣家 with nearly all the power掌握幾乎所有的權力 an oligopoly is a handfuloligopoly則是少數幾家 Phone networks, big oil, and sometimes airlines電信網路、大石油公司，有時候還有航空公司 get described this way都被這樣形容

The few giants often watch each other — if one cuts a price, the others may follow — so the “fight” can look more like a careful dance than a free market.

The few giants often watch each other這少數幾個巨頭常常互相盯著對方 if one cuts a price如果一家降價 the others may follow其他家可能會跟進 so the "fight" can look more like所以這場「競爭」看起來更像 a careful dance一場小心翼翼的舞蹈 than a free market而不像自由市場

You meet the word in news and economics more than in everyday chat; it is fairly formal, though journalists like it because it sounds sharp.

You meet the word in news and economics你比較會在新聞和經濟學裡遇到這個字 more than in everyday chat而不是在日常閒聊裡 it is fairly formal它相當正式 though journalists like it不過記者喜歡用它 because it sounds sharp因為聽起來很犀利