watershed

転機、分岐点

重要な状況が大きく変わるきっかけとなる出来事や時点。

やさしい英語で： An event or point after which an important situation changes greatly.

• The election was a watershed.
• Her first exhibition marked a watershed in her career.
• That ruling became a watershed for civil rights.

使い方： a watershed in something (The election was a watershed in the country's history.); a watershed for someone/something (The discovery proved a watershed for modern medicine.)

類義語： turning point, milestone

よく使う表現： a watershed moment, watershed in something, a political watershed

流域、集水域

雨水や小川が、同じ川や湖、海へ流れ込む土地の範囲。

やさしい英語で： An area of land where rain and streams flow into the same river, lake, or sea.

• This river drains a large watershed.
• Pollution upstream affects the entire watershed.
• The project protects forests in several watersheds.

類義語： drainage basin, catchment

よく使う表現： river watershed, watershed management, watershed protection

転機となる、画期的な

大きな変化の始まりを示すため、重要である。

やさしい英語で： Important because it marks the start of a major change.

• It was a watershed moment.
• The watershed election changed the political system.
• Historians consider that agreement a watershed event.

類義語： pivotal, epoch-making

よく使う表現： watershed moment, watershed event, watershed election, watershed decision