agency
/ˈeɪdʒənsɪ/noun
1
- often with adj. or noun modifier a business or organization established to provide a particular service, typically one that involves organizing transactions between two other parties代理, 中介; 代理处, 代办处：
an advertising agency
广告代理
aid agencies.
援助机构。
1.1
- a department or body providing a specific service for a government or other organization办事处, 机构：
the Environmental Protection Agency.
（美国）环境保护署。
2
- mass noun action or intervention, especially such as to produce a particular effect（尤指产生某效果的）作用：
canals carved by the agency of running water.
流水冲出的运河。
2.1
- count noun a thing or person that acts to produce a particular result起作用的事物（或人）：
the movies could be an agency moulding the values of the public.
电影可以对形成公众价值观产生作用。
词源
mid 17th cent.: from medieval Latin agentia, from agent 'doing' （see AGENT）.