curfew 復習

アメリカ，テキサス州のダラス近郊で巨大な竜巻が発生したほか暴風雨に見舞われ，車や住宅が吹き飛ばされる被害が出ました。

Death Toll Rises in Dallas as Storms Sweep South

At least 11 people were killed in the Dallas area Saturday night when 11 tornadoes swept North Texas, officials said.

The storm tossed cars off freeways and destroyed at least one apartment building, a recreation vehicle park and several homes across the suburbs northeast of the city, according to officials with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and the Garland Police Department. About 50,000 people were without power, officials said.

《中略》

On Sunday, Brian Funderburk, the city manager of Rowlett, said 23 people were injured when the city was directly hit by a large tornado. The city enacted a 24-hour curfew in areas affected by the storm to keep roads clear for residents and emergency operations.

Glinda Lewis, owner of the Plantation Place R.V. Park, which was hit by the tornado, said a number of residents there were injured and taken to hospitals. She said she was at home when the tornado blew through, destroying her garage and three cars. Fifteen to 20 recreational vehicles were in the park at the time; she said she had not taken stock of the damage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/us/dallas-tornadoes-storms-sweep-south.html?ribbon-ad-idx=5&rref=homepage&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Home%20Page&pgtype=article

今回取り上げる表現は “curfew”です。『ジーニアス英和辞典第4版』では「（戒厳令下の）夜間外出禁止令」、「外出禁止時刻；（子供たちの）門限」とあり，LDOCEでは “a law that forced people to stay indoors after a particular time at night, or the time people must be indoors”と定義されています。

さらに「（中世の）晩鐘，入相の鐘《消灯の合図》；鐘の音；消灯時刻」という意味もあります。というのも，語源を辿ると古フランス語の “cuevrefeu”（保火器、消灯合図）からきており，cur-で「覆う＝ cover」，-fewで「火＝fire」を意味しているということが分かりました。（Inaho）

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20120716/1342450729
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20130819/1376839717