紅白歌合戦

年末恒例の紅白歌合戦は、コロナの世界的流行coronavirus pandemicで、初の無観客開催＝be held without an audienceでしたが、ステイホームも影響し、全体視聴率＝audience rating/viewing rateは40％を超えました。曲をじっくり聴かせる演出も好評でした。

※大晦日の紅白歌合戦＝Red and White Song Battle on New Year's Eve ／NHK's year-end music program

※毎年の紅組と白組に分かれて競う歌合戦：an annual song contest, in which the female artists of the red team and male performers of the white team compete to be named the better side

※言いかえ表現：the music extravaganza ／ NHK’s annual music bonanza

※extravaganza=①狂想曲、狂想劇  ②とっぴなもの、派手なショー、華やかな祭典

※bonanza=①（富鉱帯を掘り当てたような）大当たり、大儲け（のもと）、棚ぼた、見ごたえのある娯楽

総合司会は経験者で、リーダーは初めて役を担う二人でした。

Both teams will be headed by actors filling the roles for the first time, with the red team to be led by Fumi Nikaido, 26, and the white team by Yo Oizumi, 47. General presenting duties will once again go to comedian Teruyoshi Uchimura, his fourth consecutive year in the role, and NHK's own presenter Maho Kuwako in her third appearance.

※司会はthe main host of the program も。　※MC= master of ceremony

初出場が10組とベテランの取り合わせでした。

Japan's 71st 'Kohaku' New Year's Eve song battle to feature 10 first-timers, no audience（見出し）

A mixture of new and seasoned artists are among the 42 acts set to perform at the 71st "Kohaku Uta Gassen"

※first timer=初めての人、初出場社→new entrant

※seasoned=①味付けした②人が慣れた、経験豊かな　　→the returning guests という表現も

初出場アーティストクイズ①

The song was initially self-released for digital download and streaming in April 2019. The singer rose to fame after his song became a viral hit on TikTok with many users covering the song.

答え：瑛人　『香水』

初出場アーティストクイズ②

The members of the group were chosen through an audition and their selection process was documented on the Hulu streaming site. They made their official debut on Dec 2, 2020.

答え：NiziU

初出場アーティストクイズ③

Mixing pop and heavy metal,  their albums have ranked high on U.S. Billboard charts.

答え：Babymetal

年末でのグループ活動休止を発表した『嵐』も12回目の出場でした。

Arashi, who announced their intention to go on hiatus at the end of the year, will appear for the 12th time.

※hiatus=隙間、切れ目、（連続したものの）中断、休止（期）⇔break

※go on～　～に入る、始める　go on 24-hour strike　24時間ストライキに入る

福島出身の4人の歯医者さんのグループGReeeeN。顔出しをしない彼らはavatarで、NHK連続テレビ小説の主題歌を歌いました。

Pop-rock band GReeeeN consists of four dentists from Fukushima Prefecture.Hip-hop group GReeeeN, who perform masked and have been behind the theme song to this year's NHK morning drama "Yell," will sing for the first time at the contest as a special, separate act.

サンフランシスコ講和条約が締結された1951年にラジオから始まった紅白歌合戦。

NHK's first Red & White Year-end Song Festival was broadcast on the radio on January 3, 1951. This was the year Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty and General MacArthur was withdrawn from his post as supreme commander of the Allied Occupation forces.　

The following year, the second Red & White Year-end Song Festival was extended to 90 minutes. 

The fourth festival coincided with the start of TV broadcasting in Japan, and was the first to be held in front of a live audience on New Year's Eve, as it still is today.

様々な変化を重ね、今なお根強い人気の番組。出場は人気に指標にもあり、多くのアーティストにとって夢でもあります。

Reflecting the changing world of popular music, the Red & White Year-end Song Festival remains a firm favorite to the present day.

※firm favorite=根強い人気

It has long been viewed as the true barometer of status for domestic artists with an unrivaled influence on an artist's profile, status, and sales in Japan.

※barometer=気圧計、晴雨計、（世論や動向などの）指標、尺度indictor

To appear on the show is still a dream come true for many Japanese singer.　

※a dream come true=夢の実現、究極の夢