thin out

墨田区にある東京スカイツリーの「天望デッキ」が2012年5月22日に開業してから約3年半で、来場者数が2000万人を突破しました。

Tokyo Skytree sees 20 millionth visitor

The number of visitors to Tokyo Skytree since it opened to the public on May 22, 2012, exceeded 20 million Monday.

The 20 millionth attendee was among a family led by Sachiko Osawa, 38, from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. A commemorative ceremony was held at the structure’s 350-meter-high Tembo Deck and the family received a bunch of flowers and a 1/1,000th scale model of Skytree from Sorakara-chan, the official mascot for Skytree.

According to Osawa, it was the first time for the family to visit Skytree. Looking down at the misty town, Osawa’s 9-year-old daughter Mikuri said in amazement: “The town looks like a miniature model.”

The 20 millionth visitors’ mark was reached on Skytree’s 1,267th day since it opened. The initial boom has thinned out a little, taking about 700 days to reach 20 million visitors since the number of visitors exceeded 10 million on the 564th day since it opened.

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002551118

今回取り上げるのは、“thin out”という表現です。LDOCEで調べてみると、“to become fewer in number, especially when there were many before, or to remove people, plants, or things so that fewer remain”という定義が見つかりました。さらに『ジーニアス英和辞典G4 大修館書店』で確認してみると、「〜をまばらにする、希薄になる」といった意味が載っていました。

5年後には東京五輪も控えているので、その時に来場客数がどれだけ増えるのかとても楽しみです。(ninetails)