The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The celebration featured horse races, which were repeated the following year, and the festival became an annual event.
首届“啤酒节”于1810年举行,为了庆祝路德维格王子的婚礼,嗣后他成了巴伐利亚路德维格一世国王。赛马是庆祝活动的特色,来年亦再度举行,此节日因而成为一年一度例行的大事。
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,坐在为英式花园环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。