BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

BBC學習英語。我是尼爾。

And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜

Hello, Georgina. How are you today?

你好，喬治娜你今天好嗎？

Georgina? Georgina!

喬治娜？喬治娜！

Oh sorry, Neil, I didn't hear you - I was

哦，對不起，尼爾，我沒聽清你說什麼，我是...

listening to music on my headphones!

用我的耳機聽音樂!

Ah, I see! Listening to music stored on

啊，我明白了聽音樂存儲在

your mobile phone or iPod

你的手機或iPod

when out on-the-move

出行

doesn't seem like a big deal now, but the

現在看來並不是什麼大事，但是... ...

concept of personal portable music didn't

個人便攜式音樂的概念並沒有

exist until 1979, when the Japanese

直到1979年，日本

electronics company, Sony,

電子公司，索尼。

launched the Walkman.

推出了Walkman。

Years before iPods and MP3 downloads,

多年前的iPod和MP3下載。

the Sony Walkman was the first

索尼隨身聽是第一款

widely available

遍地開花

portable music player. It revolutionised

便攜式音樂播放器。它徹底改變了

the way fans listened to

粉絲們的聽話方式

their favourite bands.

他們最喜歡的樂隊。

In this programme, we'll be taking

在這個節目中，我們將以

a nostalgic look back at the

回憶起過去的歲月。

1980s and the birth of the

20世紀80年代和誕生的

Sony Walkman.

索尼隨身聽。

And, of course, we'll be learning some

當然，我們也會學習一些...

new vocabulary as well.

新詞彙以及。

Now, it may not seem so revolutionary

現在，它可能看起來沒有那麼革命性

to young people nowadays, but

對現在的年輕人來說，但

back in the late 1970s

早在七十年代末

portable music players were unheard of.

便攜式音樂播放器是聞所未聞的。

The idea behind the Walkman was simple

Walkman背後的想法很簡單

- a high-quality stereo

- 高保真

cassette player, small

錄音機

enough to hold in your hand, allowing you

足以握在手中，讓你

to walk down the street listening to your

走在街上，聽著你的

own soundtrack.

自己的配樂。

They became so popular that by

它們變得如此受歡迎，以至於到了

the time production of the Walkman

當年的隨身聽

ended in 2010, Sony had sold

截至2010年年底，索尼已售出

over 220 million machines worldwide.

全球超過2.2億臺機器。

So, my quiz question is this:

所以，我的考題是這樣的。

when the original Walkman

當初的隨身聽

model first went on sale in 1979,

型號於1979年首次上市銷售。

how much did it cost?

多少錢？

Was it: a) 50 dollars?, b) 100 dollars?,

是a）50元嗎，b）100元嗎。

or c) 150 dollars?

或c）150美元？

Things were a lot cheaper in 1979, Neil,

1979年的時候東西便宜多了，尼爾。

so I'll say b) 100 dollars.

所以我說b）100元。

OK, Georgina - we'll find out later if that's

好了，喬治娜，我們稍後會發現，如果那是。

right. Now, the inspiration

吧。現在，靈感

behind the Walkman

隨身聽背後

came from Sony chairman, Akio Morita.

來自索尼董事長盛田昭夫。

He saw Japanese teenagers listening

他看到日本少年在聽

to heavy transistor

對重型半導體

radios carried on their shoulders and had

肩上揹著收音機，有

a vision of a smaller stereo

小音響的願景

which could be

可能是

held in the hand.

握在手裡。

However, few of Mr Morita's colleagues

然而，森田先生的同事中很少有

had faith in his idea for a portable

堅信他的想法，他的便攜式

music player.

音樂播放器。

Here's Andrea Koppen, of Sony UK,

這是索尼英國公司的Andrea Koppen。

speaking to the BBC in 1989, taken

1989年對英國廣播公司的講話，攝於

from the BBC World

來自BBC世界

Service programme, Witness History.

服務方案，見證歷史。

People were very sceptical - they couldn't

人們非常懷疑--他們不能。

believe that people would

相信人們會

want to walk around

想逛逛

with headphones on and sort of carry this

戴著耳機，帶著這個

cassette with them - and he actually

錄音帶與他們 - 而他實際上

laid his job on

撂挑子

the line and said, 'If it doesn't take off,

線，並說："如果它不起飛。

I will resign'... and they didn't have much

我要辭職... 他們也沒有多少錢了

money at the time, so their advertising

錢的時候，所以他們的廣告

was very tight- and they decided

是非常緊張的，他們決定

to give it to

給

students to try... and so people saw them

學生嘗試......所以人們看到了他們。

on the trains, in campuses,

在火車上，在校園裡。

in towns and the

鄉鎮和城市

newspapers picked up on it immediately.

報紙立即報道了這一消息。

The Walkman was designed to be used

隨身聽的設計是為了使用

with headphones - a pair of padded

帶耳機--一副軟墊

speakers worn over the

喇叭戴在頭上

ears so you can listen to music

耳朵，所以你可以聽音樂

without other people hearing.

不讓別人聽到。

Akio Morita was confident his stereo plus

盛田昭夫對自己的立體聲加有信心。

headphones idea would

耳機的想法會

take off - suddenly

騰飛

start to be successful and popular.

開始成功和流行。

In fact, he was so confident of success

事實上，他對成功很有信心

that he laid his job on the line -

他奠定了他的工作在行 -

an idiom meaning

成語故事

to risk losing something important,

冒著失去重要東西的風險。

such as your job or reputation.

如你的工作或名譽。

Luckily, he didn't lose his job because

幸運的是，他沒有失去工作，因為。

many people started buying the

很多人開始購買

new Walkmans, something

新的隨身聽，一些

the newspapers picked up on - noticed

報載

or gave particular attention to.

或特別關注：

Morita's idea was a massive success.

森田的想法獲得了巨大的成功。

Released at the start of the

年初發布

summer holidays for Japanese

日本人的暑假

students, within 3 months the entire

學生，在3個月內，整個

first run of 30 thousand Walkmans

首批3萬臺隨身聽

had sold out.

已經售罄。

Meanwhile, music lovers outside of

同時，音樂愛好者外

Japan were desperately trying

日本在拼命

to get hold of the new

掌握新的

machines. Among the first to buy one

機。其中，首批購買一臺

was music journalist, Tim Jarman.

是音樂記者，蒂姆-賈曼。

Here he is speaking to Farhana Haider, for

在這裡，他正在對法哈娜-海德爾說，為。

BBC World Service's Witness History:

BBC世界服務的見證歷史。

It was made available in the US in June

它於6月在美國上市

1980. The Walkman was

1980.隨身聽是

especially popular with the

特別受

16 to 24 age group.

16至24歲年齡段；

They thought it could be a niche product,

他們認為這可能是一個小眾產品。

that might not sell, but it really caught

賣不出去，但真的很搶手

the public's imagination in every market

各地市場的公眾想象力

that it was offered in.

的，它是提供在。

When the Walkman was sold to the rest

當Walkman被賣給其他

of the world and became

的世界，併成為

popular with youngsters,

受到年輕人的歡迎。

people thought it was a niche product -

人們認為這是一個小眾產品 -

something marketed for sale

銷路

to a small, specific group.

對一個小的、特定的群體。

But instead, people of all ages began

但相反，各個年齡段的人都開始

wearing Walkmans to listen to

戴著隨身聽聽歌

their favourite music

他們最喜歡的音樂

on the move, and the new invention

奔波勞碌，新發明

caught the public imagination -

引人遐想

an idiom meaning,

一個成語的意思是

made the public interested in

使公眾對

or excited about something.

或興奮的東西。

Many put the Walkman's success down

很多人把Walkman的成功歸結為

to its perfect combination

到其完美的組合

of sound quality, small

的音質，小

size and affordable price.

尺寸和實惠的價格。

But exactly how affordable, Georgina?

但到底有多實惠，喬治娜？

Remember my quiz question?

還記得我的考題嗎？

Yes, Neil. You asked how much the

是的，尼爾你問過多少錢

original Walkman cost when it

原來的隨身聽成本時

came out in 1979.

1979年問世。

What did you say?

你說什麼？

I thought it cost b) 100 dollars

我還以為要100塊錢呢

Well, Georgina, things were cheaper in

嗯，喬治娜，事情是便宜的在

1979, but not that cheap - the

1979年，但沒那麼便宜--------。

actual price was

實際價格是

c) 150 dollars.

(c) $150.

That's around 530 dollars today!

也就是今天的530元左右!

In this programme, we've been looking

在這個節目中，我們一直在尋找

back at the iconic Sony Walkman,

回到標誌性的索尼Walkman。

the first portable

首創

stereo made up of a cassette player plus

錄音機加錄音機的立體聲

headphones - pairs of padded

耳機-----------------雙耳塞

speakers worn over the ears.

戴在耳朵上的揚聲器。

Sony chairman Akio Morita was so

索尼董事長盛田昭夫如此

confident his invention would

相信他的發明會

take off - become popular

興起--流行

and successful - that he laid his job

和成功 - 他放下了他的工作

on the line. That means

在線上。這意味著

risked something important,

冒著重要的風險。

like his job.

喜歡他的工作。

His colleagues at Sony worried the

他在索尼的同事們擔心

Walkman was a niche product -

隨身聽是一個小眾產品------。

a product targeted for

的產品，針對

sale to a niche, or small and

銷售給小眾，或小而

specific, market.

具體，市場。

But luckily for him, the Japanese

但幸運的是，日本人

newspapers picked up on his idea -

報紙對他的想法進行了報道

noticed it and gave

注意到這一點，並給

it particular attention. As a result,

它的特別關注。結果是：

the Sony Walkman caught

索尼隨身聽被抓

the public imagination

公眾想象力

- made the public excited

- 熱血沸騰

and interesting in it.

並從中獲得樂趣。

That's all for this programme.

這個節目就到此為止。

Until we meet again at 6 Minute

直到我們再次在6分鐘見面

English - happy listening!

英語--聽得開心

Happy listening!

愉快的聽！