ballot

在古代希腊，人们很早就发明了匿名投票的方法。跟我们现在使用纸质选票的方法不同，那时候的人们使用青铜碟片、筹码或小球等材料来投票，并用不同形状或颜色代表赞同或反对。其中，用小球做成的选票就是英语单词ballot（选票）的来源。ballot源自意大利语pallotte，是palla（ball，球）的指小词，意思就是“小球”。英语单词balloon（气球）同样源于意大利语palla（球），表示“大球”。英语单词blackball表示“黑色小球”，也就是“反对票”的意思。

词根 ball，bol 1 = to throw，to dance 抛；舞 ballad n. 民歌，歌谣 ball 抛；舞 + ad 表东西 → 伴随〔民间〕舞蹈的歌谣 → 民歌 ballet n. 芭蕾舞 ball 抛；舞 + et 小 → 舞蹈 → 芭蕾舞 ballistics n. 弹道学 ball 抛；舞 + ist 人 + ics …学 → 研究〔物体〕抛出去的〔线路〕→ 弹道学 ballroom n. 舞厅 ball 抛；舞 + room 房间 → 舞厅 hyperbole n. 夸张法 hyper 过多 + bol 抛；舞 + e → 话抛得很高 → 夸张法 2 = ball 球 balloon n. 气球 ball 球 + oon 表物 → 气球 ballot v./n. 投票 ball 球 + ot …人 →〔投票用的〕小球 → 投票 bullet n. 枪弹 bull〔= ball〕球 + et 小 → 小球 → 子弹 meatball n. 肉丸 meat 肉 + ball 球 → 肉丸 metabolism n. 新陈代谢 meta 转变 + bol 球，引申为循环 + ism 表行为 → 体内循环变化 → 新陈代谢 softball n. 垒球运动，垒球 soft 软的 + ball 球 → 垒球运动，垒球 symbol n. 符号；象征 sym 共同 + bol 球 → 共同〔代表事物的〕球形符号 → 象征 symbolize v. 用符号表示；象征 symbol 符号；象征 + ize …化 → 用符号表示；象征

election vote poll referendum straw poll ballot show of hands These are all words for an event in which people choose a representative or decide sth by voting. 以上各词均表示选举或投票表决。 election an occasion on which people officially choose a political representative or government by voting 指选举、推选，尤指政治选举： Who did you vote for in the last election? 上次选举中你把票投给了谁？ vote an occasion on which a group of people vote for sb/sth 指投票、选举、表决： They took a vote on who should go first. 他们以投票方式决定谁先走。 poll ( journalism ) the process of voting in an election （新闻）指选举投票、计票： They suffered a defeat at the polls . 他们在投票选举中惨遭失败。 referendum an occasion on which all the adults in a country can vote on a particular issue 指全民投票、全民公决 straw poll an occasion on which a number of people are asked in an informal way to give their opinion about sth 指非正式民意测验： I took a quick straw poll among my colleagues to see how many agreed. 我在同事中很快做了一个民意测验看有多少人赞同。 ballot the system of voting by marking an election paper, especially in secret; an occasion on which a vote is held 尤指无记名投票选举、投票表决： The leader will be chosen by secret ballot. 领导者将通过无记名投票选举产生。 注释 Ballot is usually used about a vote within an organization rather than an occasion on which the public vote. ballot通常用于机构内部的选举，而非公众的投票选举。 show of hands an occasion on which a group of people vote on sth by raising their hands 指举手表决 常用搭配 a national / local / federal / democratic / free / fair election / vote / poll / referendum / ballot a presidential / parliamentary / congressional / council election / poll to conduct a(n) election / vote / poll / referendum / straw poll / ballot to have a(n) election / vote / poll / referendum / straw poll / ballot / show of hands to hold a(n) election / vote / poll / referendum / st