“民调”是“民意调查”的简称，其中“民意”指大众的意见和想法，“调查”则是了解情况、收集信息的过程。因此，“民调”就是为了了解大众对某件事情的看法而进行的调查。
“mín diào” is short for “public opinion survey,” where “public opinion” refers to the opinions and thoughts of the masses, and “survey” is the process of understanding the situation and collecting information. Therefore, a public opinion poll is a survey conducted to understand public opinion on a particular issue.
在现代社会中，政府、媒体、学校、公司等机构都会进行民调，以便更好地掌握公众的态度。例如，人们最关心哪些社会问题、大家对某项政策的态度、消费者喜欢什么产品、学生对课程是否满意等，都可以通过民调来了解。民调的目的通常是帮助决策者或研究者更准确地理解公众的需求和意见，从而做出更合适的判断或改进服务。
一、常见用法
“民调”常出现在新闻、文章、电视节目和网络讨论中，是一个非常实用的现代词语。除了“做民调”“民调结果”“民调支持度”这些基本表达外，“民调机构”“民调样本”“民调趋势”等词也经常一起出现。理解这些搭配能帮助学习者更顺利地阅读新闻。
在实际使用中，“民调”常与数字、百分比一起出现，例如“最新民调显示……”。人们也会说“参考民调”“看民调”，表示把调查结果当作一种信息来源。需要注意的是，不同机构的方法不同，结果可能会有差异，因此在理解民调时，也要关注它的来源和调查方式。
二、民调是怎么做的
可以把民调想象成“问很多人同一个问题”。常见方式包括电话访问、网络问卷、街头访问和邮寄问卷。不同方式各有优点，例如网络问卷方便、电话访问速度快、街头访问能接触到不同背景的人。
调查机构通常会设计一份简单清楚的问卷，并选择“样本”，也就是被调查的人。为了让结果更有代表性，他们会尽量让样本包含不同年龄、性别、职业、地区的人。收集到数据后，研究人员会进行统计，把结果整理成图表或报告。
民调需要一定的科学方法，例如样本数量要足够、问题设计要清楚，否则结果可能不准确。了解这些基本概念能帮助学习者更好地理解“民调”在现实中的运作方式。
三、学习提示
学习“民调”时，可以先记住它是“民意调查”的缩写。接着多注意与“民调”一起出现的词语，如“结果”“趋势”“支持度”等，这些都是常见搭配。阅读新闻标题也是一个好方法，因为新闻中经常会提到民调。
初学者也可以尝试做一个简单的小调查，例如问同学“你最喜欢的饮料是什么”，然后记录结果。通过亲身体验，你会更容易理解民调的过程。你也可以观察不同媒体如何引用民调，思考他们关注的重点。随着词汇量增加，你会发现“民调”不仅是一个词语，也是了解社会意见的工具。
In modern society, governments, media outlets, schools, companies, and other institutions conduct public opinion polls to better understand public attitudes. For example, public opinion polls can reveal which social issues people care about most, their attitudes towards a particular policy, what products consumers like, and whether students are satisfied with their courses. The purpose of public opinion polls is usually to help policymakers or researchers more accurately understand public needs and opinions, thereby making more appropriate judgments or improving services.
I. Common Usage
“Public opinion poll” frequently appears in news, articles, television programs, and online discussions, making it a very practical modern term. Besides basic expressions like “conducting a public opinion poll,” “pollature results,” and “pollature support,” terms such as “pollature organization,” “pollature sample,” and “pollature trend” also frequently appear together. Understanding these collocations can help learners read news more smoothly.
In practice, “polls” often appear alongside numbers and percentages, such as “The latest poll shows…”. People also say “refer to the poll” or “read the poll,” indicating that they treat survey results as a source of information. It’s important to note that different organizations use different methods, and the results may vary. Therefore, when understanding polls, it’s crucial to pay attention to their source and survey methods.
II. How Polls Are Conducted
You can think of a poll as “asking many people the same question.” Common methods include telephone interviews, online questionnaires, street interviews, and mailed questionnaires. Each method has its advantages; for example, online questionnaires are convenient, telephone interviews are fast, and street interviews allow access to people from diverse backgrounds.
Survey organizations typically design a simple and clear questionnaire and select a “sample,” that is, the people being surveyed. To make the results more representative, they try to include people of different ages, genders, occupations, and regions in the sample. After collecting the data, researchers will statistically analyze it and compile the results into charts or reports.
Public opinion polls require certain scientific methods, such as a sufficient sample size and clear question design; otherwise, the results may be inaccurate. Understanding these basic concepts will help learners better comprehend how “public opinion polls” work in reality.
III. Learning Tips
When learning about “public opinion polls,” you can first remember that it’s an abbreviation for “public opinion survey.” Then pay close attention to words that appear with “polls,” such as “results,” “trends,” and “support,” as these are common collocations. Reading news headlines is also a good method, as news often mentions polls.
Beginners can also try conducting a simple survey, such as asking classmates “What’s your favorite drink?” and recording the results. Through hands-on experience, you’ll more easily understand the polling process. You can also observe how different media outlets cite polls and consider their focus. As your vocabulary grows, you’ll find that “public opinion poll” is not just a word, but also a tool for understanding public opinion.