How would you like to sip a glass of cold beer while sitting in the shadow of a Chinese pagoda surrounded by English gardens in the middle of a southern German city? It may sound unlikely, but that is what millions of visitors from around the world experience in Munich in late September and early October every year. They come to celebrate Oktoberfest, probably the largest public festival in the world.
在德国南部城市中，坐在为英式花园怀抱的中国式宝塔的荫凉下，啜饮一杯冰凉的啤酒，这样的感觉，你有多心动？听起来也许像天方夜谭，但这就是每年九、十月之交，来自世界各地的百万游客，群集慕尼黑的亲身经历。他们来庆祝“啤酒节”——可能是世界上最盛大的公众节日。
There is much more to modern Munich than beer gardens. It is Germany's favorite city, insofar as surveys show a majority of Germans would prefer to live there. Some jokingly call it the only Italian city north of the Alps, a reference to Munich's easygoing spirit that contrasts with the staid impression many foreigners have of Germany.
现代慕尼黑可不只有啤酒园而已。它是德国的一座人们喜爱的城市。调查显示，大多数德国人愿意选择在慕城定居。有些人戏称她是阿尔卑斯山以北唯一的意大利式城市，意味着慕尼黑随和亲切的气氛，这和许多外国人对德国严肃持重的印象形成天壤之别。
Despite the city's traditional image, many residents never set foot inside a beer hall or go anywhere near Oktoberfest, which is looked down on by some as a festival only for foreign touristis. These citizens see themselves as part of a thriving, modern metropolits which is the high-tech capital of Germany. Indeed, Munich plays host to a large concentration of communications and electronics firms.
尽管慕城具有这种传统的形象，许多当地居民却从未涉足啤酒厅和到举办“啤酒节”临近的任何地方。有些人对这些地方不屑一顾，认为它只不过是外国游客的节庆。这些市民认为自己是一个蒸蒸日上的现代大都会的一部分。它是德国高科技的首都，的确慕尼黑接纳了云积此地的众多通讯及电子公司。
Munich, then, is a city of fascinating contrasts. It has terrific museums, architectural treasures, and open-air shopping as well as space-age factories and world-class markets. If you could visit only one city in Germany, the capital of Bavaris would be a worthy choice.
由此可见，慕尼黑是一个极迷人的有鲜明发差的城市。它有令人流连忘返的博物馆、建筑珍品、露天商场，也有太空时代的工厂和世界顶级的购物商场。假如你只能访问德国的一座城市，那么巴伐利亚的首府将是一个绝对值得一游的城市！ |