An online company has begun marketing an "Anti Vuvuzela Filter" that promises to silence the sound of the controversial plastic trumpets that have become the trademark of South Africa's World Cup.
The company's web site, antivuvuzelafilter.com, sells an MP3 audio file for 2.95 euros (3.60 dollars) that the company says will cancel the vuvuzela noise for TV viewers by producing a sound wave similar to the horn's that cancels the noise.
"Just download our specially designed vuvuzela noise cancellation MP3 and play it back on your home stereo system, computer, iPod, iPhone, etc.," the website says.
"Depending on the circumstances, the resulting soundwave may be so faint as to be inaudible to human ears."
But Anthony Sullivan, a physicist at South Africa's Rhodes University, called the idea "a marketing hype and a waste of money."
"Noise cancelling depends on specific positions. You're not going to get that cancelling," he said.
His advice to those who don't like hearing the vuvuzela?
"Mute the TV."
备受争议的“呜呜祖拉”加油工具已成为南非世界杯的一大标志，日前，一家网络公司推出了一种据称可消除这种塑料喇叭所发出的噪音的“呜呜祖拉滤声器”。
该公司网站（antivuvuzelafilter.com）上出售的“呜呜祖拉滤声器”其实是一个MP3音频文件，每个售价2.95欧元（3.6美元）。据该公司介绍，该音频文件可通过产生与“呜呜祖拉”声音相近的声波，消除电视里发出的噪音。
该网站说：“你只需下载我们特别设计的‘呜呜祖拉’MP3消音文件，然后在家庭立体音响系统、电脑、iPod播放器或iPhone手机上等进行播放，即可达到屏蔽噪音的目的。”
“在某些环境中，用这种文件处理后的声波可能会变得很微弱，人耳几乎听不到。”
但南非罗德斯大学的物理学家安东尼•沙利文则称这个想法纯粹是“市场炒作和浪费金钱”。
他说：“噪音的消除取决于特定的位置。喇叭声是消不掉的。”
那么对于那些不喜欢“呜呜祖拉”声音的人，他有什么建议呢
“把电视机调成静音。”
Vocabulary:
stereo system: 立体音响系统
hype: the use of a lot of publicity and advertising to make people interested in something such as a product 大肆宣传，炒作