- [countable]
an organization for helping people in need 慈善机构（或组织） a registered charity 注册慈善团体。 the UK's largest children's charity 英国最大的儿童慈善机构 Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine. 许多慈善机构捐款赈济饥民。 The concert will raise money for local charities. 这场音乐会将为当地慈善机构募捐。 My parents always supported charities. 我父母一直支持慈善事业。 - charity for somebody/something
a charity for homeless people 为无家可归者设立的慈善机构 a charity for earthquake relief in Pakistan 巴基斯坦地震救援慈善机构
Culture charitiescharitiesCharities are independent organizations that help the poor, the homeless, children, old people and animals. They are involved with human rights, education, medical research and conservation of the environment. Many of them began in the time before governments provided any social services, when poor people had to turn to charitable organizations for help. Charities rely on money given by the public, and on help from volunteers in fund-raising and carrying out their activities. One of the factors that people may consider when choosing which charity to support is the percantage of the money that goes directly to the cause, rather than on other expenses. Many charities that are now well known throughout the world, such as Oxfam and Amnesty International, began in Britain. In Britain organizations qualify for charitable status if they are established for the 'public good'. Many charities ask well-known people, including members of the royal family, to become their patrons. Charities do not pay tax on the money they receive, but they are not allowed to make a profit.Charities in Britain are not allowed to take part in political activity, so some set up a separate pressure group which campaigns on related issues. The Charity Commission keeps a list of charities and advises them. The Charities Aid Foundation provides services to charities and helps people to donate to them. Well-known charities working in Britain include Save the Children, Oxfam, Cancer Research UK, which pays for research into cancer treatments, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Age UK and Shelter.In the past US religious organizations received most money from the public, but their share has fallen recently. Well-known charities include the Red Cross, the United Way of America, the Salvation Army, Task Force for Global Health, and the American Cancer Society. Local charities operate shelters for the homeless and soup kitchens where poor people can eat free.A lot of the work done by charities in the US, such as caring for the poor, is done in other countries by the government. Americans have a strong belief that, if possible, private groups, not the government, should do this work.A traditional method of raising money involves volunteers standing in busy streets asking members of the public to put money in a collecting tin. In exchange, they are given a paper sticker with the charity's name on it. The British Legion's charity day, called Poppy Day, has become a feature of British life.Nearly every town in Britain has several charity shops. These are run by volunteer staff and sell second-hand clothes, books and household goods at low prices in aid of charity. Some shops, for example Oxfam shops, also sell goods made by people who are benefiting from the charity's work. At Christmas, people often buy charity cards, Christmas greetings cards sold in aid of charity. Charity shops (NAmE thrift shops) are less common in the US, but include shops run by the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries.The telethon is an effective method of fund-raising in both Britain and the US. During an evening of popular television programmes, television stars ask the public to telephone and pledge (= promise) money to the charities involved. The Comic Relief evening in Britain and the muscular dystrophy telethon in the US (the MDA Show of Strength) are famous. Other fund-raising activities include fêtes (= outdoor events with stalls selling cakes, etc. and activitiesfor children). Sponsored walks, fun runs, even parachute jumps, where people agree to give money to a person completing a task, are also popular. At Christmas or Thanksgiving, schools and churches organize collections of food, called food drives in the US, for old people and the poor.An important source of funds for charities in Britain is the National Lottery, which gives a percentage of its income to 'good causes'.In both Britain and the US many workers have money taken from their pay and sent to charity. This is called payroll giving. Some companies in the US hold fund-raising drives, in which different parts of the company compete to see which of them pledges the most money. The United Way of America, a national organization that collects money to give to small local charities, benefits from this. Many people leave money to charity in their will. It is also common, when somebody dies, for the family to ask people to send a contribution to a charity instead of sending flowers to the funeral.Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesa2She runs a charity for homeless young people. 她经营着一家救助无家可归的年轻人的慈善机构。 a charity for sick children 服务患病儿童的慈善机构
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- international
- local
- national
- …
- donate (money) to
- give (money) to
- support
- …
- appeal
- drive
- auction
- …
- for charity
- charity for
- an act of charity
- [uncountable]
organizations for helping people in need, considered as a group; the money, food, help, etc. that they give 慈善；赈济；施舍 Most of the runners in the London Marathon are raising money for charity. 大多数人参加伦敦马拉松赛跑是为慈善事业募集资金。 A portion of the proceeds was donated to charity. 一部分收益捐给了慈善机构。 Do you give much to charity? 慈善捐助你捐得多吗？ a charity event (= organized to get money for charity) 慈善活动 All the profits go to charity. 所有的利润都捐给了慈善机构。 a charity auction/concert/football match 慈善拍卖/音乐会/足球比赛 She does a lot of charity work. 她做了很多慈善工作。 to live on/off charity (= to live on money which other people give you because you are poor) 靠赈济生活
Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesa2The school raised a lot of money for charity. 学校为慈善机构募集了许多钱。 The school raised over a hundred pounds for charity. 学校为慈善机构募集了100多英镑。 They are proud people who don't accept charity. 他们很清高，不接受施舍。 They have no money and are forced to live on charity. 他们没有钱，被迫靠慈善救济过活。 He refused to live off charity. 他拒绝靠救济过活。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- international
- local
- national
- …
- donate (money) to
- give (money) to
- support
- …
- appeal
- drive
- auction
- …
- for charity
- charity for
- an act of charity
- [uncountable] (formal)
kind behaviour and sympathy towards other people, especially when you are judging them 仁爱；宽容；宽厚
Word Originlate Old English (in the sense ‘Christian love of one's fellows’): from Old French charite, from Latin caritas, from carus ‘dear’.
Idioms
charity begins at home
- (saying)
you should help and care for your own family, etc. before you start helping other people 博爱始于自家