public square
public square — 名詞
1. an open area in a town or city, often paved and bordered by buildings, where peo
廣場
城鎮中開放的公共空間
an open area in a town or city, often paved and bordered by buildings, where people can meet, rest, shop at markets, or attend public events, religious ceremonies, or political gatherings.
The old public square in Prague has a famous clock tower and outdoor cafés.
布拉格的舊城廣場擁有著名的鐘樓和露天咖啡館。
Every Wednesday the public square fills with stalls selling fresh bread, cheese, and flowers.
每週三，這個廣場上擺滿了販售新鮮麵包、起司和鮮花的攤位。
verb pattern: the public square fills with + [stalls / people / market]
The city council voted to add benches and a small playground to the public square.
市議會投票通過在廣場上加設長椅和小型遊樂場。
Hundreds gathered in the public square to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks display.
數百人聚集在廣場上觀看跨年煙火秀。
On weekends the public square becomes a lively place where neighbours chat and children play.
到了週末，廣場就變成左鄰右舍聊天、小孩玩耍的熱鬧場所。
- town square
interchangeable in most cases; slightly more common in British English
- plaza
often implies a more modern, paved space, sometimes surrounded by shops
- market square
suggests a square historically used for trading goods
文法句型
the public square
in the public square
public square + verb
用法筆記
When referring to a specific square, the definite article 'the' is normally used ('the public square', not 'a public square'), unless the speaker is describing a general type of space ('a public square gives people room to gather').
常見錯誤
2. the figurative space where members of a society share ideas, express opinions, a
公共論壇
社會中公開討論議題的空間
the figurative space where members of a society share ideas, express opinions, and discuss issues that affect the community — such as politics, social problems, or local laws — as if they were meeting in a real public square.
Social media has become a noisy public square where citizens debate taxes and health care.
社群媒體已變成一個嘈雜的公共論壇，民眾在此辯論稅收與醫療保健等議題。
metaphorical use: turn into a public square
The town council uses online forums as a public square for discussing road safety.
鎮公所利用線上論壇作為討論道路安全的公共論壇。
At the town hall, local parents and shopkeepers filled the public square with bus-route complaints.
在鎮公所，當地家長和店家老闆將對公車路線的不滿帶進公共論壇。
When the factory closed, the public square of local opinion filled with anger and fear.
工廠關閉時，地方輿論的公共論壇充滿了憤怒與恐懼。
The local newspaper once served as a public square for discussing education and tax policy.
這份地方報紙曾經是一個討論教育與稅收政策的公共論壇。
- public forum
more specific to formal events where a debate or discussion is held
- public sphere
a broader academic term used in sociology and political science
- public arena
suggests a more competitive or combative space for debate
文法句型
in the public square
the public square of + [opinion / ideas / debate]
用法筆記
This sense is always metaphorical and is most common in political commentary, journalism, and academic writing about democracy. It cannot refer to a physical location. The expression 'the public square' in this sense is nearly always used with the definite article 'the'.