悉尼海港大桥六千人共进早餐
Thousands sat down to breakfast on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday after the iconic structure was closed to traffic and carpeted with grass for the first time for a giant picnic.
About 6,000 early risers were on the steel bridge from 6:30 am to take part in the two-hour event designed to showcase Sydney's best food and outdoor lifestyle.
As accordion players and trumpeters provided the background music, those who had won tickets to the picnic in a random lottery munched on fruit, pastries, muesli, yoghurt, and the staple Australian breakfast spread Vegemite.
"It's amazing to see the bridge in this perspective," said Sydneysider Don Fuchs of the structure which is used by about 100,000 cars daily.
"Usually you sit in the car, you cross it, and that's it."
"It was beautiful," said Linda Curnow who attended the picnic with her family. "The grass was so thick it was like being in your back yard."
New South Wales state Premier Nathan Rees said the event was set to become an annual feature of Sydney's month-long October food festival.
About 45,000 people applied for tickets to the breakfast for which people brought their own food but were able to taste samples from some of the state's best producers.
"I don't think we were ever doubtful of the success of this event today," a government spokesman told reporters. "It was a unique world first for this iconic attraction. This type of event typifies the Australian personality."
上周日，数千人在悉尼海港大桥席地而坐，共进早餐。为举办此次大规模的集体野餐活动，悉尼的这一标志性建筑临时限行，并首次铺上了草坪。
当天，从清晨6点半开始，约6000名早起的居民陆续来到这座钢铁大桥，参加这一两个小时的集体早餐活动。此次野餐会是为了展示悉尼最好的美食和户外生活方式。
伴着手风琴手和小号手演奏的背景音乐，赢得野餐会入场券的人们津津有味地品尝着水果、糕点、什锦粥、酸奶，还有澳大利亚人传统的早餐食品——酵母酱。
悉尼居民唐•福克斯这样评价当天的海港大桥：“今天的大桥太壮观了。”海港大桥的日均车流量约为10万辆。
“通常都是你坐在车里，穿过大桥，仅此而已。”
和家人一起来参加野餐会的琳达•科诺说：“太美了，草坪厚厚的，感觉就像在自家的后院里。”
新南威尔士州州长内森•瑞斯说，这一活动将成为今后每年历时一个月的悉尼“十月美食节”的一个固定节目。
此前，共有约4.5万人申请参加本次野餐会，获得入场券的人需自带早餐，但他们可以品尝该州最好的食品生产商生产的食品。
一名政府发言人在接受记者采访时说：“我们从没怀疑今天的活动能取得成功。对于澳大利亚的标志性建筑海港大桥来说，这个世界第一很独特。此类活动彰显了澳大利亚人的个性。”
Vocabulary:
munch: to eat with pleasure 津津有味地吃（The rabbit munched on the fresh carrots. 兔子咯吱咯吱地嚼着新鲜胡萝卜。）
muesli:amixture of usually untoasted rolled oats and dried fruit, often used as a breakfast cereal 穆兹利，用碾碎的谷物、干果、坚果加牛奶等制成的一种瑞士食品
staple:a basic dietary item, such as flour, rice, or corn（主要的；常用的）
spread:a food to be spread on bread or crackers 涂食品的果酱（或奶油）
Vegemite: a vegetable extract used as a spread, flavouring, etc “维吉麦”果酱（商标名）
Sydneysider: a resident of Sydney 悉尼居民
