VOA标准英语2009年-Website of the Week – Shortwaveology

Showcasing interesting and innovative¹ online destinations

Art Chimes | Washington, DC 04 December 2009

"It fades in and out. ... But what I think that does is that adds a feeling of mystery."

Time again for our Website of the Week, when we showcase interesting and innovative online destinations.

That clip is from the shortwave broadcasts of ORTM in Mauritania. Shortwave radio has been in decline for years now. It's hard to compete with MP3 players, FM radio, and the Internet. But there's still enough to keep David Goren interested. He's a radio producer and engaged shortwave hobbyist, and he posts some of what he hears on Shortwaveology.com.
   
"It's still a lifeline," says Goren, "and I think one reason why I started Shortwaveology now is, even though the heyday² of shortwave radio listening has passed, it's still happening, and it's sort of an interesting moment to look at the history of it, and to look at what remains³ and why."

Goren's site features a podcast, clips from some interesting stations, and selections from some of his own radio work on shortwave themes, from the presumed spy stations that broadcast nothing but numbers, to the electronic hash of data transmissions, to VOA's legendary⁴ jazz host, the late Willis Conover.

For David Goren and a lot of other current and former shortwave listeners, there is a certain magic in the voices and music that scratch their way through thousands of kilometers of space into your radio.

"It's not always dependable. It fades in and out. It varies based on the weather, on sunspots. But what I think that does is that adds a feeling of mystery."

Mysteries of shortwave radio explored at Shortwaveology.com, or get the link from our site, VOAnews.com. 

 

1 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

2 heyday   

n.全盛时期，青春期

参考例句：

• The 19th century was the heyday of steam railways.19世纪是蒸汽机车鼎盛的时代。
• She was a great singer in her heyday.她在自己的黄金时代是个了不起的歌唱家。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。