CdS　nano　material　which　has　a　band　gap　of　2.42　eV　at　room　temperature　is　a　typical　II-VII　semiconductor　having　many　commercial　or　potential　applications,　e.g.,　light-emitting　diodes,　solar　cell　and　optoelectronic　devices.　In　this　paper,　we　use　a　new　strategy　to　synthesize　CdS　nanorods.　CdS　nanorods　were　prepared　in　soft　template　under　gamma-irradiation　though　the　reaction　of　cadmium　sulphide　and　thiacetamide　(TAA).　The　formation　process　and　characters　of　CdS　nanorods　was　investigated　in　detail　by　transmission　electron　microscopy　(TEM),　electron　diffraction　(ED)　pattern,　X-ray　powder　diffraction　(XRD),　ultraviolet　spectrophotometer　(UV)　and　photoluminescence　spectrophotometer　(PL).　In　the　experiment　we　proposed　that　the　irradiation　of　gamma-ray　accelerated　the　formation　of　S2-　under　acidic　condition　(pH　=　3)　and　vinyl　acetate　(VAc)　monomer　formed　pre-organized　nano　polymer　tubules　which　were　used　as　both　templates　and　nanoreacters　for　the　growth　of　CdS　nanorods.　In　this　process,　we　have　obtained　the　CdS　polycrystal　nanorods　with　PVAc　nano　tubules　and　CdS　single-crystal　nanorods.　The　result　of　X-ray　powder　diffraction　confirms　that　the　crystal　type　of　CdS　nanorods　is　cubic　F-43　m　(216).　The　results　from　transmission　electron　microscopy　and　electron　diffraction　show　that　the　concentrations　of　reactants　and　the　dose　rate　of　gamma-ray　are　key　to　produce　appropriate　CdS　nanorods.　Relatively　low　concentrations　(Cd2+:　0.008　similar　to　0.02　mol/L,　Cd2+:S2-　=　1　:　2)　of　reactants　and　long　time　(1　similar　to　2　d)　of　irradiation　in　low　dose　rate　(6　similar　to　14　Gy/min)　are　propitious　to　form　CdS　single-crystal　nanorods　with　small　diameter　(less　than　100　nm)　and　well　length　(2-5　mu　m).　UV　and　PL　characterizations　show　the　sample　have　well　optical　properties.