啤酒、啤酒， 比比皆是：德国慕尼黑啤酒节

德国美女举杯狂欢庆祝啤酒节

　　By Benoit Finck 郑睿 译

　　[1]Having waved goodbye to the pope, Catholic-dominated Munich turns on Saturday to its other “religion”， for the 173rd Oktoberfest beer festival which is expected to attract six million visitors.

　　[2]The tourists from around the world are expected to flock to the southern German region for the 18-day celebration of beer, sausages and good-natured rowdiness. They will knock back 6.1 million litres of beer, roughly equivalent to one litre per person.

　　[3]The Oktoberfest is also a time when Munich, one of the wealthiest and trendiest cities in Germany, suddenly throws fashion to the wind. Women of all ages and incomes don the traditional long dirndl dresses, often with floral motifs and complete with plunging necklines. For men, lederhosen — knee breeches — are absolutely compulsory. Bavarian tradition dictates that deerskin lederhosen are the best, because they stretch to accommodate an expanding beer belly.

　　[4]Celebrities like three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker dress up in the traditional garb， to parade for the benefit of photographers as the Oktoberfest becomes Germany’s society event for a fortnight.

　　[5]This year, Paris Hilton, heiress and American party queen, has promised to make an appearance and pose with a foaming pint, although after her recent arrest for drunk driving it is unclear whether she will actually drink it.

　　[6]The mayor of Munich, Christian Ude, will get the ball rolling at midday on Saturday by knocking a hole in a barrel of beer with the traditional cry of “Ozapft is” (It’s been tapped). Visitors will then throng through the 75 tents and public spaces on a 31-hectare site in the west of the city.

　　[7]The top price of the traditional glass of beer served at the event, known as a mass, has risen 55 cents to 7.50 euros (9.50 dollars) this year, but that is not expected to seriously reduce anyone’s consumption.

　　[8]For the first time, the organisers have set aside no-smoking areas and a special area with fairground rides will be reserved for children.

　　[9]The celebration of Oktoberfest started in Germany as a wedding celebration in 1810, when Princess Therese married to the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig. The purpose of the celebration was two-fold. First, it was to give thanks for the past years crops, and secondly, to share in the joy of the marriage with family and friends. It became an annual event that ran from mid-September to early October.

(2006-2007学年第7期)