The waterfront is the part of a town that sits right at the edge of water — the sea, a river, a lake, a harbour. It is the strip where the buildings stop and the water begins: the road along the water, the docks, the shops and restaurants facing out, the walkway where people go in the evening. So it is not the water itself, and it is not the whole town — it is the town's edge where it meets the water.

The waterfront is the part of a town that sits right at the edge of waterwaterfront指的是一個城鎮裡緊貼著水邊的那部分——the sea, a river, a lake, a harbour不管是海、河、湖還是港口。It is the strip where the buildings stop and the water begins它是建築物到此為止、水開始的那一條帶狀地帶：the road along the water, the docks, the shops and restaurants facing out, the walkway where people go in the evening包括沿水的道路、碼頭、面向外的商店和餐廳，還有人們傍晚會去散步的步道。So it is not the water itself所以它不是水本身，and it is not the whole town也不是整個城鎮——it is the town's edge where it meets the water而是城鎮和水交會的那個邊緣地帶。

We use it two ways. First, plainly: 'We walked along the waterfront.' Second, as a describing word before another noun: 'a waterfront restaurant', 'a waterfront apartment', 'waterfront property'. In this second use it almost always means expensive and nice, because a view of the water costs money. Estate agents love the word.

We use it two ways這個字有兩種用法。First, plainly第一種是單純地用：'We walked along the waterfront.'像『We walked along the waterfront.』（我們沿著waterfront走）Second, as a describing word before another noun第二種是放在另一個名詞前面當形容詞用：'a waterfront restaurant', 'a waterfront apartment', 'waterfront property'像『a waterfront restaurant』水岸餐廳、『a waterfront apartment』水岸公寓、『waterfront property』水岸房產。In this second use it almost always means expensive and nice在第二種用法裡它幾乎都在暗示昂貴又高級，because a view of the water costs money因為看得到水景是要花錢的。Estate agents love the word房地產仲介最愛用這個字。

The feeling of the word changes with the city. In an old port city, the waterfront can mean the working docks — cranes, containers, rough work, dock workers. That is where the old phrase 'on the waterfront' comes from, meaning the tough dock world. But in most modern cities the old docks have been rebuilt into cafés and parks, and people now say 'the waterfront' meaning the pretty part. Both meanings are alive; which one you hear depends on the place and the age of the speaker.

The feeling of the word changes with the city這個字給人的感覺會隨城市不同而改變。In an old port city在一個老港口城市裡，the waterfront can mean the working docks waterfront可能指的是還在運作的碼頭區——cranes, containers, rough work, dock workers有吊車、貨櫃、粗重的工作和碼頭工人。That is where the old phrase 'on the waterfront' comes from這也是老說法『on the waterfront』的由來，meaning the tough dock world意思是那個艱苦的碼頭世界。But in most modern cities the old docks have been rebuilt into cafés and parks但在大部分現代城市裡，舊碼頭已經被改建成咖啡館和公園，and people now say 'the waterfront' meaning the pretty part人們現在說『the waterfront』通常指的是那個漂亮的部分。Both meanings are alive兩種意思現在都還在使用，which one you hear depends on the place and the age of the speaker你聽到哪一種要看地方和說話者的年紀。

It is a normal, everyday word. Not formal, not slang. Usually 'the waterfront', with 'the', when you mean a particular town's one.

It is a normal, everyday word這是一個普通的日常用字。Not formal, not slang不算正式，也不是俚語。Usually 'the waterfront', with 'the'通常會加the，說成『the waterfront』，when you mean a particular town's one用來指某個城鎮特定的那一個waterfront。