2022年10月30日 VOA慢速英語： 吃蛋糕也吃

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
現在，來自美國之音學習英語的單詞和他們的故事。
 
On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples, notes on usage, and sometimes we use them in short stories.
在這個節(jié)目中，我們探索英語中的單詞和表達方式。我們給出例子，使用說明，有時我們在短篇小說中使用它們。
 
Today we talk about a popular dessert -- cake.
今天我們來說說一種流行的甜點——蛋糕。
 
Cakes are made by baking a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. They come in just about any flavor you can imagine – from chocolate, vanilla, and lemon to unusual flavors like cherry, coconut, and pumpkin. And do not forget about the icing. This sweet topping also comes in just about any flavor imaginable.
蛋糕是通過烘烤面粉、糖、雞蛋和黃油的混合物制成的。它們幾乎有你能想象到的任何口味——從巧克力、香草和檸檬到櫻桃、椰子和南瓜等不尋常的口味。不要忘記結冰。這種甜味配料也有幾乎任何可以想象的味道。
 
We often eat cakes to celebrate birthdays, weddings, and other important events. All this talk about cake has brought my attention to a common expression: to have your cake and eat it too.
我們經常吃蛋糕來慶祝生日、婚禮和其他重要事件。所有這些關于蛋糕的話題都讓我注意到了一個共同的表達方式：擁有你的蛋糕并吃掉它。
 
This expression, or idiom, can be used to describe a couple different situations.
這個表達或成語可以用來描述幾種不同的情況。
 
One is where two good things happen at the same time. For example, a friend of mine loves to read so she got a job at a library. Now, she reads all day long and gets paid! Talk about having your cake and eating it too!
一種是同時發(fā)生兩件好事。例如，我的一個朋友喜歡閱讀，所以她在圖書館找到了一份工作。現在，她整天閱讀并獲得報酬！談論你的蛋糕和吃它！
 
We also use the idiom to describe a situation in which two good things happen at the same time, but they don't usually exist together in the same situation.
我們也用這個成語來形容兩件好事同時發(fā)生，但它們通常不會在同一情況下同時存在的情況。
 
Here's an example: My friend just had a baby. She has a good job that pays well. And now she spends more time with her new baby by working from home. We can say that she is having her cake and eating it too!
這是一個例子：我的朋友剛生了一個孩子。她有一份薪水不錯的工作?，F在，她在家工作，花更多的時間陪伴她的新寶寶。我們可以說她正在吃蛋糕并且也在吃它！
 
In both of these examples, we could also use this expression: to have the best of both worlds.
在這兩個例子中，我們也可以使用這個表達：擁有兩全其美。
 
Now, here is another form of our cake idiom. We also commonly use it in the negative form: You can't have your cake and eat it too.
現在，這是我們蛋糕習語的另一種形式。我們也經常以否定形式使用它：你不能吃蛋糕也不能吃。
 
In the negative, it means you cannot have or do two things at the same time that are impossible to have or do at the same time. You must decide which one you want because you can't have both. In other words, you cannot have two conflicting things.
否定的意思是，你不能同時擁有或做兩件不可能同時擁有或做的事情。你必須決定你想要哪一個，因為你不能同時擁有兩者。換句話說，你不能有兩個相互沖突 的東西。
 
For example, let's say your friend is complaining about the amount of taxes he pays. But at the same time, he complains about the lack of services the city provides. You could say to him, "Look, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Better services cost money."
例如，假設您的朋友正在抱怨他繳納的稅款。但與此同時，他抱怨這座城市提供的服務不足。你可以對他說，“看，你不能一邊吃蛋糕一邊吃。更好的服務要花錢。”
 
You could also say, you can't have the best of both worlds. Another similar expression is: you can't have it both ways.
你也可以說，你不能兩全其美。另一個類似的表達是：你不能同時擁有它。
 
You can't have your cake and eat it too also means we should not try to have more than is reasonable. In other words, you can't possess the cake and eat it at the same time. Once the cake is eaten, it is gone.
你不能吃蛋糕也不能吃也意味著我們不應該嘗試超過合理的范圍。換句話說，你不能在擁有蛋糕的同時吃掉它。蛋糕吃完，就沒了。
 
And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
這就是這個詞和他們的故事的結尾。
 
If you want to get caught up on world events and practice your English, you can come to VOA Learning English. Here, you have the best of both worlds. You can have your cake and eat it too!
如果你想了解世界大事并練習你的英語，你可以來美國之音學習英語。在這里，您擁有兩全其美。你可以吃蛋糕也可以吃！
 
Until next time.
直到下一次。