[] ( companies) a business organization selling goods or services, especially one that has been officially created (registered) in a particular country and is owned by shareholders公司◆They are a large insurance and investment company.他们是一家大型保险和投资公司。◆The company was founded in 1995.这公司成立于 1995 年。◆She's been working for the same company for 15 years.她一直在同一家公司工作了 15 年。◆Four directors have resigned from the company.四名董事已辞去公司职务。◆The company is listed(= its shares are traded) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.公司在约翰内斯堡证券交易所上市。◆the Tata group of companies塔塔公司集团➡ see note at business , corporation ⨁a big / large / medium-sized / small company大／大型／中型／小型公司⨁to create / establish / found / set up / start (up) a company创立／建立／成立／开办／启动公司⨁to manage / operate / own / run a company管理／经营／拥有／经营公司⨁to join / leave / resign from / work for a company加入／离开公司；辞职；为公司工作⨁to acquire / buy / sell / take over a company收购／出售／接管一家公司⨁to dissolve / liquidate a company解散／清算公司⨁a company expands / grows / fails公司扩张／成长／失败⨁a company goes bankrupt / goes out of business / goes under公司破产／歇业／倒闭●take a company ˈpublic●a company goes ˈpublicif you take a company public or a company goes public, it becomes part of a stock exchange and its shares can be bought and sold by the public公司上市◆Since the company went public, its stock price has soared from $12 to $75.自从公司上市以来，股价已由 12 元飙升至 75 元。➡ idiom at part verbaffiliated company associate company associated company cable company close company closed company closely held company credit company daughter company dual-listed company finance company holding company insurance company inter-company investment company investment trust company limited company joint-stock company management company mutual company off-the-shelf company parent company private company private limited company property company public company public limited company quoted company real estate company registered company related company shelf company shell company sister company small company statutory company stock company target company trading company unlimited company unquoted company Forms of businesses <chn/>Most countries allow you to run a business in at least three different ways. 大多数国家都至少允许以三种不同方式经营企业：as a sole trader (especially BrE) / sole proprietorship (NAmE) 独资经营as a partnership合伙经营as a company (BrE) / corporation (especially NAmE) 公司经营（英式英语 company，美式英语 corporation）Important characteristics 重要特征Sole traders/sole proprietorships 独资企业few or no official procedures to follow 无须或只须履行简单的官方审批程序the person starting the business is responsible for its debts 创办企业的人对其债务负责Partnerships 合伙企业they can usually be established without following a formal procedure, although there is often a written agreement between the partners 通常无须遵循正式程序而设立，但合伙人之间通常会签订书面协议each partner is personally responsible for the debts of the business 每个合伙人均对企业债务负责each partner can act as a representative of the business 每个合伙人均可作为企业代表行事Companies/corporations 公司a number of official procedures to follow 须履行若干官方审批程序the company exists independently of its members and can last for ever 公司独立于其成员而存在，可永久存续the people who run the business can be different from those who own it 企业经营者和所有者可分离the owners are responsible for a limited amount of the company's debts, equal to the value of their investment 所有者对公司债务承担相当于其投资价值的有限责任➡ See note at corporation参见 corporation。