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For Life
2009.12.14 (Review of 2001.12.11 edition)

Hello!

Christmas is definitely in the air, and the music of Christmas can be heard, well, just about everywhere these days. Some say holiday music is a case of too much of a good thing, but the WordMaster thinks it's also a great opportunity for learning.

So we've decided to revisit a unique set of editions we put together in 2001, introducing words and expressions inspired by well-known Christmas songs. At the start of each edition, we'll give you the title of the song and its writers, followed by an explanation of how the word or expression is used in the song. Who knows, with your newfound understanding of the lyrics, maybe those tired old Christmas songs will even begin to sound fresh and new again!

Today's Lesson
TOWN   町、都市、繁華街

Explanation

  • “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie
    When used together with a word such as “a” or “the”, town usually means a place with houses, shops, etc., that is smaller than a city but larger than a village.

    When used without a word such as “a” or “the”, however, town can mean ANY such place, even a very big city. For example, in the phrases “come to town”, “leave town”, “be in town”, and “be out of town”, town means the city or town where you live or work (or if you live in the country, it means a nearby city or town).

    Town can also mean the main part of a city or town where there are a lot of shops and businesses, as in the phrase “go into town”.
  • town は、a や the がついている場合は、通常、家やお店などがある、都市より小さくて村より大きいところ、つまり、町のことをさします。

    a や the をつけないで使う場合は、家やお店などがある、あらゆる場所を意味するので、町に限らず大都会をさすこともあります。例えば、come to town、leave town、be in town、be out of town などと言うとき、town は、その人が住んでいる、または働いている都市や町（田舎に住んでいる場合は近くの都市や町）のことをさします。

    また、town は、たくさんのお店や商業施設がある、都市や町の中心部をさすこともあり、go into town （繁華街へ行く）のように使われます。

TOWN

examples

  1. I grew up in a small town on the Japan Sea coast.
  2. a: What's the name of that beautiful hot-spring town in central Izu that we went to last year?
    b: Shuzenji.
  3. The Berlitz Symphony Orchestra is coming to town for a special Christmas concert next week.
  4. My uncle from California is in town for the weekend.
  5. (on the phone)
    I'm sorry, but Mr. Kringle is out of town until the 26th. Can I take a message?
  6. (wife to husband)
    a: I'm going into town for a while. Is there anything you need?
    b: Would you mind taking this suit to the cleaners for me?

英会話レッスンWe'll be back in town again tomorrow!