Every day， across Norway， something strange happens. It starts at about 11：30， and the first sign is the rustling of paper at the bottoms of rucksacks and handbags. Shortly thereafter， people begin fishing out square packages， neatly wrapped in baking parchment. Some have cute messages like “have a good day！” scrawled on top. Others are tied up with string.

在挪威，每天都有一件奇怪的事情发生。从11：30左右开始，第一个迹象便是背包和手提包底部发出的包装纸的沙沙声，随后人们开始拿出包装好的方形餐包。餐包整整齐齐地用烘焙纸包裹起来，有的还会在上面潦草地写下各种可爱的留言，比如“过得愉快！”;有些会用绳子捆扎着。

The phenomenon can be witnessed everywhere—in offices and schools， on public transport， out hiking near icy fjords. If theres one thing you can be sure of， its that all will contain the same humble open sandwich. And， if its been made correctly， it will be dry， flavorless and predominantly beige in color.

在公司、校园和公交车上，或是在冰封的海湾附近旅行时，随处都能目睹这一现象。如果有一点可以肯定的话，那就是所有餐包中的三明治都是一样的单层三明治。如果按正确的方法制作，三明治应该是干的，没有味道，以淡棕色为主。

“In Norway， youre not supposed to look forward to your lunch，” says Ronald Sagatun， who works in advertising and hosts a YouTube channel about Norwegian culture. “Its kind of a strict thing. Its easy to make， easy to carry around， easy to eat， but it should be a disappointment.”

羅纳德·萨加顿从事广告工作，在视频网站YouTube上主持一个关于挪威文化的频道。他说：“在挪威，人们不应该对午餐抱太大期望，这件事有点刻板。餐包制作简单，便于携带，易于食用，但它令人失望。”

While British office workers rush around each lunchtime， queueing at cafes， bankrupting themselves on superfood salads and deli-style sandwiches or， worse， skipping the meal altogether， Norwegians have it all organized. Each morning， going back decades， they diligently prepare a packed lunch.

在英国，上班族会在午餐时间，匆忙地赶往不同的地方，或去咖啡馆排队，或在超级食物沙拉和熟食风味的三明治前大吃特吃，或者更糟的是，干脆不吃午饭。挪威人却早把餐包准备妥当。数十年来，人们都坚持不懈，每天早晨准备好一份包好的午餐。

The packed lunch is a slice of tradition. The “matpakke”， pronounced “maadpukke”， with a satisfying emphasis on the “e”， consists of a stack of three or four thin slices of wholemeal bread， with a meaty， fishy or cheesy layer on top of each （this is the words popular meaning， though technically it can be used to describe any food which is prepared to be eaten outside of the home）.

餐包是传统习俗的一部分。“餐包”一词读作“maadpukke”，元音“e”要重读。餐包是由三片或四片薄的全麦面包堆叠而成，将肉片、鱼片或奶酪片摆在各层面包上（这是餐包的通俗含义，尽管严格来说，该词可用来描述准备要带出家门享用的任何食物）。

Today the matpakke is much more than just an insipid open sandwich; its a national institution， and an understated source of cultural pride.

如今，餐包不仅仅是清淡的单层三明治;它还代表着一个国家的风俗习惯，也是一种低调的文化自豪感。

Most Children in Norway take one to school and many adults continue the habit for their entire working lives. According to retiree Helge Vidar Holm， who studies French literature at the University of Bergen and has recently retired， the matpakke is the first aspect of Norwegian culture that foreign students are taught when they arrive. “Quite a few， the first word they learn， before ‘thank you and so on， theyll learn to say ‘matpakke，” he says.

在挪威，大多数孩子上学时带餐包，很多成年人在其整个职业生涯中，也一直保持着这种习惯。赫尔格·维达尔·霍尔姆在卑尔根大学研究法国文学，最近退休了。据他说，留学生到这里来，老师向他们传授挪威文化时，第一讲便是餐包文化。他说：“不少人在掌握‘谢谢等词语前，最先学会说的词是‘餐包。”

The tradition originated in the 1930s with the Oslo Breakfast. Back then， Norway was poor and this government programme aimed to provide all school children with a free meal each day. It was an unmitigated success， and later copied around the globe. Eventually parents took over the responsibility and gradually it evolved into the matpakke—now not just for children， but widely eaten by adults， whether theyre doctors， drivers or construction workers.

這个传统始于20世纪30年代的奥斯陆早餐。当时，挪威的经济贫乏，政府颁布这一项目，旨在为所有在校儿童每日提供一份免费餐。这是不折不扣的功绩，后来受到世界许多国家的效仿。最终，家长接管了此事，并逐渐演变为餐包。如今不仅是为孩子准备餐包，成年人也吃餐包，不论是医生、司机还是建筑工人。

“Like most Norwegians， I eat my matpakke every day when I work，” says Holm. “Thats the Norwegian way and its most peculiar， because its not the same in Sweden or Denmark， Iceland or Finland. Its a very Norwegian tradition.”

霍尔姆说：“像大多数挪威人一样，我上班时每天吃餐包。这是挪威人的生活方式，是最特别的，因为瑞典、丹麦、冰岛或芬兰都不这样。这是挪威的传统。”

Word Study

scrawl /skr??l/ v. 马马虎虎（或潦草）地写

superfood /'su：p?（r）fu?d/ n. 超级食物（一些被视为比其他食物更有营养的，甚至具有医疗疗效的食物）

stack /st?k/ n.（通常指码放整齐的）一叠，一摞，一堆

insipid /?n's?p?d/ adj. 无味道的;淡而无味的

unmitigated /?n'm?t?e?t?d/ adj. 完全的，十足的，彻底的