豆知识 2010-11-14&11-20 新一代电台——播客

 Remember the good old days of TV andradio? Everyone would gather around to be entertained. Shows were broadcast atspecific times and if you weren’t there on time, you missed it. Broadcasts disappeared into the ether. Well, things have changed. This is Podcasting in PlainEnglish. 

Here’s the big idea. Thanks topodcasting, show times don’t matter. When a new show is created, podcasting givesyou a way to capture it and take it with you to watch or listen to later,usually for free. It makes shows personal and available on demand. That’s whatmakes it different from broadcasting. It works by setting up a connectionbetween a website and a computer, so that new shows automatically show up whenavailable.

Here are three reasons why podcasting isbecoming so popular. 

The first is that anyone can do it. Nosatellites, radio towers or studios needed. Most people only need a microphoneor video camera, a computer and a connection to the web. With these things inplace, they can make their own show that is open to everyone. It also meansthat there is a wide variety of podcasts, whether it's investment advice fromWall Street, or your neighbor’s gardening show from down the street. There’slikely a podcast for you. 

The second is subscriptions¹. This meansthat if you visit a website that has a great podcast, you can click a buttonand subscribe² to receive future shows automatically. All you need is a freetool called a pod-catcher, like iTunes that act as a way to capture the shows.The shows become yours to listen to or watch as much as you want, where youwant. 

The third reason is gadgetry³. You can download a podcast onto a computer; you can alsodownload it to an MP3 player or other portable device and take it with you. Andremember, podcasts work on all sorts of devices, not just iPods.

So, let’s look at how Jason usespodcasts. He uses the web every day, rides the bus to work and loves Japaneseculture. Recently he found a podcast by a western couple living in Tokyo. Aftera quick listen, he subscribed⁴ to their podcast from their website. That night,as he slept, a new show downloaded onto his Mp3 player. The next morning he wason the bus, listening to his new friends in Tokyo, imaging what it would belike to eat the freshest sushi in the world. 

Podcasting made it happen. It made itpossible for the couple in Japan to create a show for only a few yen⁵; it madeit possible for Jason to subscribe to their show and take it with him.Podcasting means we don’t have to depend on traditional media. Now everyone canhave a voice that shows their true colors.

1 subscriptions   

n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助

参考例句：

• Subscriptions to these magazines can be paid in at the post office. 这些杂志的订阅费可以在邮局缴纳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Payment of subscriptions should be made to the club secretary. 会费应交给俱乐部秘书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

3 gadgetry   

n.小机械，小器具

参考例句：

• His desk is covered with electronic gadgetry. 他的书桌上摆满了各种电子装置。
• Then why not just take back all your fancy gadgetry? 那你怎么不把这堆玩意给我撤了？ 来自电影对白

4 subscribed   

v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意

参考例句：

• It is not a theory that is commonly subscribed to. 一般人并不赞成这个理论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I subscribed my name to the document. 我在文件上签了字。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。