幸福情緣 洋溢著幸福的感覺

    With a 12-gun salute1 and the tapping2 of a keg3 by the mayor of Munich, Germany, Oktoberfest gets under way. This 16-day festival takes place in late September. It is one of the most important events in Germany and has become famous worldwide. More than six million Germans and tourists take part in Oktoberfest each year to eat, drink, and celebrate. Traditional German food, like sausages4, potatoes, and cheese, is consumed with many different kinds of beer.

　　At Oktoberfest, many people drink too much beer and then pass out. These people are called "beer corpses5" and are often brought to a medical tent to receive help. But starting in 2005, special tents have been set up for "quiet Oktoberfest." This is mainly for families who do not drink or have young children. Altogether, Oktoberfest has 14 main tents with seating6 for 100,000 people on 103 acres7 of land. Women work in traditional clothing and can each deliver up to eight mugs of beer at a time to the guests. So whether you enjoy beer or simply want to experience the biggest festival in Germany, visit in late September for Oktoberfest.

        在十二響禮炮，以及慕尼黑市長為啤酒桶裝上開關之後，德國啤酒節便正式展開。這個為期十六天的節慶是於九月下旬開始舉行。它是德國最重要的節慶之一，現已舉世聞名。每年皆有超過六百萬的德國人和遊客參加啤酒節，一同吃喝玩樂並大肆慶祝。人們會享用各式各樣的啤酒，並且搭配傳統的德國食物，如香腸、馬鈴薯和起司等。

　　在啤酒節時，許多人會因喝太多啤酒而昏睡不醒。這些人被戲稱為beer corpses，並且常被帶至醫療帳棚內接受協助。但自2005年起，現場則搭設了一些特別的帳棚以舉行『安靜的啤酒節』。這主要是為那些不喝酒及有年幼孩童的家庭所安排的。啤酒節的場地裡總共有十四座主要帳棚及十萬個座位，其佔地面積廣達一百零三英畝（編按：此面積約為四十一公頃，也就是將近有五十一座足球場的大小）。女服務生穿著傳統服飾工作，她們一個人一次可以為賓客們送上多達八杯啤酒。因此，不論您是喜歡喝啤酒，或只是單純想體驗德國最盛大的節慶，都歡迎您在九月底到慕尼黑參加啤酒節。

up to
1. "up to..."表『多達∕高達……』。
Up to 600,000 tourists visited Mexico this month.
（本月有多達六十萬名遊客到墨西哥旅行。）
2. "be up to..."則表『做……（秘密的事或壞事）』。
Do you know what Ted is up to now?
（你知道泰德現在正在幹什麼勾當嗎？）
3. "be up to..."亦表『勝任∕有資格做……』。
Eva is up to that role in the play.
（伊娃能勝任劇中的那個角色。）
4. "be up to + 人"又表『由某人作主』。
What we eat tonight is up to Mom.
（我們今晚吃些什麼是由媽媽來決定的。）

轉自: 常春藤生活英語 電子報