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サラトガスプリングズの魅力
雅子さんは、職場から車で3分ほどのところに住んでいます。しかし、同僚の多くは45分以上かけて通勤してくるのです。そんな彼らが住んでいるのは、州東部の小さな都市サラトガスプリングズ。どうやら、サラトガスプリングズには、通勤に時間がかかろうとも、住みたい気持ちにさせる魅力があるようです。
Saratoga Springs
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鉱泉が自由にくめるよう町のあちこちに水くみ場が設けられている
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Albany may be the capital city of New York, but there is surprisingly little entertainment in the downtown area. The government buildings are buzzing with people on weekdays, but it's strangely deserted at night and on weekends. There are restaurants and clubs in Albany, but they aren't packed close together, so it's always necessary to take a car from one place to another. Many of the buildings in between the interesting hubs of activity are either chain superstores or crumbling family businesses.
During the summer, Saratoga Springs bustles with extra activity. Many residents of New York City have summer homes upstate, and they bring along with them a touch of city sophistication. Historically, the mineral springs in town have attracted vacation-goers, but bathing doesn't seem to be a major draw nowadays. The preferred method of enjoying Saratoga Springs water is in a glass, with a meal. One can take one's own jug to a spring and fill it up for free. The water is also sold in bottles in stores.
The racetrack and the performing arts center attract tons of tourists, tourists who wouldn't even turn an eye toward Albany. The track is one of the premier thoroughbred tracks in the country, and the racing season climaxes with the Travers Stakes. The excitement spreads far throughout the region, and even though I don't know anything about horse racing, I've been exposed to office gossip about the health of certain horses, including Funny Cide. Several co-workers have even dressed up in the 1920s flapper style in order to enjoy a day at the races.
The arts center, which is called SPAC, attracts world-class artists including the New York City Ballet, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. There are dozens of restaurants that cater to the crowds, including many that are as expensive as restaurants in the city. I always giggle when I see the advertisements on the wall at one of the coffeehouses, since most of them are related to yoga, massage, meditation and organic food - the interests of nature-loving yuppies, not of the farmers who till the fields that surround the town.
Perhaps I like Saratoga Springs the best after the summer crowds have thinned out. In the winter, there are less people and the streets look forlorn, but the storefronts are beautifully decorated with Christmas dioramas, and I like watching the holiday shoppers running about the place. People snowshoe and cross-country ski in the nearby parks, or even in the town streets. This is something that I've never seen in Boston or New York City.
I would not be willing to live 30 miles (48 km) from work in order to surround myself in urban comforts (I visit Boston every two or three weeks, so I suppose I get my fill of the city life then), but I admire Saratoga Springs. It's amazing what a little town can do.
Shukan ST: Nov. 7, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
- Saratoga Springs
- ニューヨーク州東部にある都市
- resident
- 居住者
- Funny Cide
- 競走馬の名前
- Kentucky Derby
- 三冠レースの一つ(ケンタッキー州ルイヴィルで5月第1土曜日に開催される)
- commute
- 通勤
- for the privilege of 〜
- 〜する特権のために
- Capital District
- 州都地域
- walkable
- 散策に適した
- boutiques
- ブティック
- gourmet
- グルメの
- lined up on 〜
- 〜に並んだ
- wouldn't be out of place in 〜
- 〜にあったとしても引けを取らない
- pedestrians
- 歩行者
- rural
- 田舎の
- strip malls
- 店が一列ひと続きに並んでいるショッピングセンター
- doesn't encourage strolling
- 散歩する気持ちにさせない
- public transportation
- 公共交通機関
- Strangely enough
- 不思議なことに
- destination of choice
- 皆が行きたい場所
- grand
- 豪華な
- latest exercise trend
- エクササイズの最新の流行
- capital city
- 州都
- are buzzing with 〜
- 〜で騒々しい
- (is)deserted
- ひと気がない
- aren't packed close together
- 一ヵ所に集まっていない
- hubs of activity
- 活気の中心
- crumbling family businesses
- 崩れている家族経営の店の建物
- bustles with 〜
- 〜でにぎわう
- upstate
- 州北部に
- a touch of city sophistication
- 洗練された都市の雰囲気を少々
- mineral springs
- 鉱泉
- have attracted vacation-goers
- 観光客を引きつけてきた
- bathing
- 入浴
- draw
- 呼び物
- preferred method of enjoying 〜
- 好まれる〜を楽しむ方法
- jug
- 水差し
- fill it up
- 満たす
- for free
- 無料で
- racetrack
- 競馬場(サラトガ競馬場は米で使用されている競馬場としては最古)
- turn an eye toward 〜
- 〜に目を向けない
- track
- コース
- premier
- 一流の
- thoroughbred
- サラブレッド用の
- climaxes with 〜
- 〜で最高潮に達する
- Travers Stakes
- 1864年開始の北米競馬史上3番目に古いステークス
- spreads far throughout 〜
- 〜中に広まる
- (have)been exposed to 〜
- 〜を耳にしている
- office gossip
- 職場のうわさ話
- (have)dressed up in the 1920s flapper style
- 1920年代のフラッパー(当時の奔放な娘)の服装をしたことがある
- Yo-Yo Ma
- チェリストの名
- Emanuel Ax
- ピアニストの名
- cater to 〜
- 〜に料理を提供する
- giggle
- クスクス笑う
- advertisements
- 広告
- yoga
- ヨガ
- meditation
- めい想
- organic food
- 自然食品
- yuppies
- 都市に住む裕福なホワイトカラーの若者
- till 〜
- 〜を耕す
- have thinned out
- 減る
- forlorn
- わびしい
- storefronts
- 店頭
- dioramas
- 立体模型
- snowshoe
- 雪靴を履く
- would not be willing to 〜
- 〜したくない
- urban comforts
- 都会の心地よさ
- get my fill of 〜
- 〜を十分に楽しむ
- admire 〜
- 〜をいいと思う