边走路边听音乐在今天很平常，但是这样的便利只有区区40年的历史。40年前，随身听横空出世，从此随时随地听音乐才变成现实。
40 years of portable music
by Edward C. Baig
When you want to hear music while you're out, you just pop in the earbuds and summon the song on an app like Apple Music and listen. You probably don't think too much about it.
pop /pɒp/ v. 快速放置
earbuds /ˈɪəbʌdz/ n. 耳塞式耳机
summon /ˈsʌmən/ v. 召集、召唤
app /æp/ n. （手机上的）应用程序
But a generation ago, if you wanted to listen on the go, you very likely did it through a Sony Walkman. It's what made cassette tapes portable.
generation /ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 一代人
on the go 在忙碌的时候
cassette /kəˈset/ tape 盒式磁带
portable /ˈpɔːtəb(ə)l/ adj. 便携的、易携带的
In early 1979, Sony chairman Akio Morita summoned engineers, planners and publicity people to a meeting to show off a promising prototype, a modified version of a compact cassette recorder used by journalists known as the Sony Pressman.
chairman /ˈtʃeəmən/ n. 主席（这里指董事会主席，也就是董事长）
publicity /pʌbˈlɪsəti/ n. 宣传、广告宣传
show off 炫耀
promising /ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ/ adj. 有前途的
prototype /ˈprəʊtətaɪp/ n. 原型、雏形
modify /ˈmɒdɪfaɪ/ v. 修改
version /ˈvɜːʃ(ə)n/ n. 版本、变体
compact /kəmˈpækt/ adj. 小型的、袖珍的
cassette recorder 盒式磁带录音机
journalist /ˈdʒɜːnəlɪst/ n. 记者
"This is the product that will satisfy those young people who want to listen to music all day," Morita told the group. "They'll take it everywhere with them, and if we put a playback-only headphone stereo like this on the market, it'll be a hit."
satisfy /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/ v. 使满意
playback /ˈpleɪbæk/ n. 回放、播放
headphones /ˈhedfəʊnz/ n. 头戴式耳机（修饰其他名词时一般用headphone）
stereo /ˈsteriəʊ/ n. 立体声、立体声音响
hit /hɪt/ n. 非常流行的东西
On July 1, 1979, Sony launched the blue and silver Walkman TPS-L2 in Japan and sold it for around 33,000 yen, roughly $150 at the time in U.S. dollars. A year later, it came to the U.S.
launch /lɔːntʃ/ v. 发布（新产品）
yen /jen/ n. 日元（单数和复数都是yen）
roughly /ˈrʌfli/ adv. 大约
Despite skeptics（怀疑者） who predicted this expensive device wouldn't sell because it didn't record, that first Walkman became a blockbuster hit, selling 50,000 devices in two months. But more than that, it changed the way people listened to music privately and portably.
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ n. 设备、装置
blockbuster /ˈblɒkˌbʌstə(r)/ n. 极成功的产品
privately /ˈpraɪvətli/ adv. 私人地（由private加后缀-ly变成副词）
portably /ˈpɔːtəbli/ adv. 便携地
"The Walkman did a couple of things in one," tech historian Stewart Wolpin says. "It was the size of a transistor radio but was so much easier to carry than previous tape-based portables. And more importantly, it came with stereo headphones designed for music, not that mono earpiece for the transistor radio. The music sounded like you'd brought your home stereo with you, and it was yours and yours only. The headphone stereo phenomena defined the indulgent（放纵的）, some would say selfish, 'Me' generation of the 1980s."
historian /hɪˈstɔːriən/ n. 历史学家
transistor /trænˈzɪstə(r)/ radio 晶体管收音机
-based 后缀，意思是“基于”
portable /ˈpɔːtəb(ə)l/ n. 便携式小型设备（这里指便携式录音机）
mono /ˈmɒnəʊ/ adj. 单声道的
earpiece /ˈɪəpiːs/ n. 耳塞、耳机
phenomenon /fəˈnɒmɪnən/ n. 现象（phenomena /fəˈnɒmɪnə/ 是复数）
define /dɪˈfaɪn/ v. 阐明、界定
Through the years, Sony brought out numerous variations of the Walkman: portable CD models, "gum-stick" versions with a rechargeable battery, and models that supported "metal" tape. Sony eventually went with models that could handle MP3s as well, but it was late to the game. In the new century, the company relinquished the portable music throne to Apple's iPod and iTunes.
numerous /ˈnjuːmərəs/ adj. 许多的
variation /ˌveəriˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 变种、变体
gum-stick 是一种看起来像口香糖的长条形电池
rechargeable /riːˈtʃɑːdʒəb(ə)l/ adj. 可充电的
eventually /ɪˈventʃuəli/ adv. 最终
handle /ˈhænd(ə)l/ v. 处理
relinquish /rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ/ v. （不情愿地）放弃
throne /θrəʊn/ n. 王座、帝位
Looking back, Wolpin says Sony had completely siloed（使互相隔离） its divisions so that the electronics business was kept separate from the recording and film divisions. "This kept Sony from building an iTunes/iPod-like integrated music player/music store solution," he says. "Sony would have been the only potential competitor to Apple had the Sony hardware and Sony content people been able to talk to each other."★
division /dɪˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 部门
electronics /ˌelekˈtrɒnɪks/ n. 电子器件
separate /ˈsep(ə)rət/ adj. 分开的、分离的
integrate /ˈɪntɪɡreɪt/ v. 集成、整合
solution /səˈluːʃ(ə)n/ n. 解决方案
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ adj. 潜在的
competitor /kəmˈpetɪtə(r)/ n. 竞争者、竞争对手
content /ˈkɒntent/ n. 内容
★ 这句话后半句用了倒装，表示“假如……”
On its 40th anniversary, the Walkman is a faded brand, but one that still conjures up mostly fond memories to a certain generation.
anniversary /ˌænɪˈvɜːs(ə)ri/ n. 周年纪念日
fade /feɪd/ v. 褪色、逐渐消失
brand /brænd/ n. 品牌
conjure /ˈkʌndʒə(r)/ up 使…在脑海浮现
fond /fɒnd/ adj. 喜欢的、喜爱的
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