Can その（其の）X be used without X previously being referenced?


Namely this definition of 澄ます:

> よけいなことを考えないで、 **その** 事一つに注意・意識を集中する。

(under 3, <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/119957/m0u/>).

This seems to be used like ある, e.g. あること ("a certain thing"), not like "that
thing" そのこと, since the noun which その describes isn't referenced anywhere else.
Can this be the case?

Checking definitions of 其の 1 to 4 here
<http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/131116/m0u/%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE/>, none of
them seem to fit.

So what does 其の in the 澄ます definition mean here?




This その is closest to the definition #2, 「聞き手が当面している事柄や場面をさす。今の」. So
'present', 'current', or 'immediate' could be the possible translation.

And here その事 is used instead of この事, because the author of the dictionary is
objectively describing 耳を澄ます as if someone else were doing that in front of
the author.

Besides, at least in the following idioms, I think その is used to mean
'immediate', and who is facing the problem is not important.

  * その日その日を暮らす、その日暮らしをする live day-to-day, live hand-to-mouth
  * その場限り one-time, ad hoc

その日暮らし is used without specifying "that particular day" prior to this, and
あの日暮らし／この日暮らし is almost always wrong. あの場限り／この場限り is uncommon, and people tend
to use その場限り regardless of the mental/physical/temporal distance of the
problem.




It is important to distinguish between whether a sentence is grammatical and
whether it is meaningful or comprehensible in a given context.

_sono otoko_ is a grammatical phrase, but without any context at all, it tells
us little if nothing at all by itself.

Consider the examples given by the dictionary entry
([デジタル大辞泉](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/131116/m0u/%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE/))
for _sono_.

>
> 「その男は何者だ」「その服はどこで買いましたか」「その仕事が終わったら、次を頼むよ」「その調子で進めてください」「その日はとても暑かった」「その話はもうやめよう」「その一、その二」「まあ、その、何て言うか」
>
> «Who is that man?» «Where did you buy these clothes?» «When you finish that
> task/job, please take care of the next too. » «Please continue at that
> pace/rate.» «It had been really hot on that day.» «Let's not talk about that
> anymore.» «First [part of that], second [part of that]» «Well, that is, how
> should I put it...?»

By asking _nani mono da?_ , the first example establishes the necessary
context for _sono otoko_ ― that man we saw and as to whose identity or
affiliation we are inquiring. Note that we can use _that_ in a smilar way in
English ― who is that man?

If you think about it, the different dictionary definitions are pretty
similar; _sono_ always refers to something, be it explicitly or implicitly.
They only differ as to what it refers to exactly:

>   1. **some** thing close to the listener
>   2. **some** circumstances the listener faces
>   3. **some** thing mentioned recently
>   4. **some** numbered part of a whole
>   5. **some** thing you cannot or do not want to talk about
>

These examples all start with _sono_. There is no referent mentioned
explicitly up to that point, and yet these example sentences are
comprehensible and meaningful. Here the sentences are commonplace enough one
can easily supply or imagine the context necessary to figure out what _sono_
refers to.

Applying this to your sentence:

> よけいなことを考えないで、その事一つに注意・意識を集中する。

This sentence is meaningful; and the referent of _sono_ is indicated
implicitly.

> よけいなことを考えないで……

First of all the definition starts off by saying what _sono koto_ does _not_
refer to ― _yokei na koto_. Do not waste your thoughts on superfluous things.

Thus _sono koto_ refers to those things that are important.

> その事 → よけいではない事

In other words, the _present, current, or immediate_ (= _ima no_ )
circumstances of higher priority one needs to focus his attention to by
sharpening his ears or eyes.

