英语美文背诵 慕尼黑（在线收听）

It was in the early years of the nineteenth century that Munich really began to grow, and many of the city's best known buildings date from this time. Despite being the modern metropolis that hosted the 1972 Olympic Games, Munich has retained a quiet charm. It is easy to forget you are in a big city as you stroll through the English Gardens, one of Europe's largest parks—complete with the Chinese Tower—and a beer garden of course.

直到上世纪初，慕尼黑才真正开始发展起来，许多最知名的慕城建筑都源自那个时期。尽管它曾以现代大都会之姿主办了1972年的奥运会，慕尼黑仍保有其静谧的魅力。当你在“英国花园”──欧陆最大的公园之一——中漫步，当然还有置身其中的中国高塔和一座啤酒园──你将浑然不觉还身处在大城市之中。

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 tourists. These citizens see themselves as part of a thriving, modern metropolis 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。有些人认为这些地方不屑一顾，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，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 Bavaria would be a worthy choice.

由此可见，慕尼黑是一个极具迷人的有鲜明反差的城市。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！

One of the world's oldest stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is a lively tale of heroism and sacrifice from ancient Sumer. It also contains one of the earliest references to beer. In the story, a female friend of the hero changes a wild, primitive beast into a cultured human being by giving him seven cups of beer.

《吉尔伽美什史诗》是世界上流传最久的故事之一，栩栩如生地讲述了古代苏美尔地区（古代幼发拉底河下游的一个地区）的英勇事迹及壮烈牺牲的场面。史诗也涉及有关啤酒的最早传说。在故事中英雄的一位女友用七杯啤酒将一头野性，原始的野兽变成了一位文雅的男子。

In reality, drinking that much beer is more likely to have the opposite effect. Nowadays, it is the beverage of choice among rowdy young people on a Saturday night out, and it has fueled acts of violence and destruction in more than a few societies. It is, nevertheless, the oldest known alcoholic drink in the world and is widely enjoyed.

事实上，饮用太多啤酒更可能产生相反的效果。啤酒是时下血气方刚的年轻人在周六夜晚狂欢时必备的饮料，而啤酒也在为数不少的社群里激发了暴力和破坏行为。尽管如此，它仍是世界上公认为最古老的含酒精饮料，而且广受喜爱。