The group discussed major geopolitical issues including terrorism and sanctions against Russia. So how powerful is the G7?

這個團體討論重大地緣政治議題，包含恐怖主義以及對俄羅斯的制裁。到底 G7 有多強呢？

First, its origins: the “Group of Seven”, started out as the “Group of Six”, back in 1975, but it’s not considered a formal institution, and has no formal charter.

首先他們的起源：這個「七國團體」在 1975 只有「六國」，並非官方組織，也沒有正式的章程。

In the beginning, the G6 included: the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, which were some of the wealthiest countries at the time.

起初，G6 包括：美國、英國、法國、德國、義大利、與日本，是當時最富裕的幾個國家。

They called their first meeting to discuss the looming global oil crisis, but its membership and discussions have fluctuated over time.

它們召開首次會議，討論潛藏的國際石油危機。但會員制度以及討論事宜隨著時間不斷變動。

Canada was added in 1976, The European Commission has been continuously present since 1981.

加拿大在 1976 年被准許加入，歐洲執委會從 1981 年開始與會。

And Russia was added in 1998, then suspended for invading Ukraine in 2014 - so membership can be lost or gained. Nothing guarantees it.

俄羅斯在 1998 年被准許加入，但在 2014 年因為侵略烏克蘭而被停權 -- 因此，會籍是可以被沒收或是取得的。沒有什麼是可以被保證的。

What has remained consistent, is the group’s influence: G7 members collectively represent nearly half of the world’s total GDP.

唯一不變的是這個組織的影響力：G7 會員國加起來幾乎佔了全球 GDP 的一半。

This powerhouse meets for two days every year in a series of private meetings and public media briefings.

這個強大的集團每年召開為期兩天，一系列的非公開會議以及記者會。

Most recently, the G7 was criticized after its “Think ahead, act together” 2015 summit, for ending with mere “COMMITMENTS” to progress, rather than any tangible solutions.

最近，G7 之所以在名為「前瞻思考、共同行動」的 2015 年高峰會後廣受批評，是因為他們沒有提出任何實質解決方案，而僅以「承諾」作結。

Although, to be fair, the G7 leaders are not required to make concrete plans.

然而，說實在，G7 領袖也無需提供具體計劃。

Still, they agreed to extend sanctions against Russia, phase out fossil fuels by the end of the century, and end extreme poverty and terrorism.

但，它們同意持續對俄國的制裁，在這個世紀結束前淘汰掉化石能源，以及終結極端貧窮現象與恐怖主義。

However, critics note that the success of these commitments hinge on whether the G7 leaders can implement them on a global scale.

然而，評論者認為，這些承諾的成功與否，取決於 G7 領導者是否能大規模地執行計劃。

The other major point of criticism of the G7 is its seeming reluctance to include other major countries in the talks, particularly China and Russia.

另外一個 G7 被批評的，是它不願讓其他主要國家加入討論 -- 特別是中國與俄國。

This has caused many to question their overall effectiveness or relevance.

這導致許多人質疑它們的整體效用與適當性。

Because member countries represent only 10.5% of the world’s population, some view G7 politicians as an elite minority governing an underrepresented majority.

由於會員國只佔世界人口的 10.5%，許多人視 G7 的政治家為「無法代表多數」的少數菁英。

Nations like India and Brazil have even surpassed some G7 members in GDP, yet still have not been able to join.

印度與巴西的 GDP 甚至超過一些 G7 會員國的 GDP，但仍無法加入。

And the opposition has become quite vocal, including Brazil’s former president who in 2008 remarked that “the G8 doesn’t have any more reason to exist”.

因此反對聲浪也越來越明顯 -- 巴西前總統在 2008 年曾說：「G8 沒有存在的意義。」

So how powerful is the G7? Well, despite their superpower roster, their effectiveness as an organization remains unclear.

所以 G7 到底影響力有多大呢？這個嘛，僅管有強大的會員名冊，它的組織效用仍不明確。

Their use of vague “commitments” and the lack of representation makes it questionable whether the organization can effect any real change,

他們使用含糊的承諾，也缺乏代表性，因此被質疑這樣的組織是否能造成實質的改變。

but they have been able to support democracy throughout the world through financial aid and the use of sanctions.

但他們能透過經濟援助與制裁，支持全球的民主運動

One could argue that the G7's true power lies in the super power’s potential for affecting significant global progress, should they choose to exercise it.

有人可能會說，G7 真正的力量在它們有潛力（若他們選擇發揮的話），影響重大世界發展。

The U.N. may be a huge organization with just about every country on the planet as a member, but are they really that powerful?

聯合國或許是一個龐大的組織，而地球上幾乎每個國家都是會員，但聯合國真的如此強大嗎？

Check out our video here to learn all about it.

歡迎收看我們的影片學習更多相關內容

The U.N. has a coalition of 193 nations. If all of those nations were to work together militarily, they would collectively wield incredible power.

聯合國合計有 193 個國家。若所有國家展開軍事合作，加起來有極大的權力

Oh, and we’re almost at 500,000 subscribers, so please help us out, and subscribe now! Thanks for watching guys.

對了，我們快要 5 萬個訂閱者了，所以快幫我們按下訂閱！感謝收看！