现在，蛋糕的款式已经多种多样，但是最经典的还是水果蛋糕。说到“水果蛋糕”你知道它的英语怎么说吗？很多人可能会想到“fruit cake”。
但是你可能没有注意过，如果这两个词没有空格连在一起，意思就完全变了，而且还会引起歧义。
“fruitcake”有两种解释，第一种是“干果蛋糕”。
这里的“dried fruit”指的是“干果”，也就是我们平时常吃的葡萄干、草莓干、香蕉干等等水果干，不是新鲜水果。
- During the holiday season, my grandmother always bakes a delicious fruitcake that everyone looks forward to.（在节日期间，我的祖母总是烤一块美味的干果蛋糕，每个人都期待着。）
- The fruitcake was packed with raisins, nuts, and candied fruits, giving it a rich and festive flavor.（这块干果蛋糕里装满了葡萄干、坚果和糖渍水果，使它具有浓厚的节日味道。）
- Some people have a love-hate relationship with fruitcake, while others enjoy it as a holiday tradition.（有些人对干果蛋糕爱恨交加，而另一些人则将其视为节日传统而喜欢吃。）
另一个解释的意思就完全和蛋糕无关了，它指的是“疯子；怪人”。关于这个意思，英语中还有一个俚语表达：
be (as) nutty as a fruitcake是个怪人；是个疯子。
这个表达起源于20世纪30年代，“nutty”的意思是“疯狂的；愚蠢的；怪异的”。
这里需要格外强调的是，“fruitcake”在一些情景中有一些冒犯，它是对同性恋、非异性恋或被认为娘娘腔的男性的贬义词。所以千万不要把它当水果蛋糕一样随便说，很容易引起误会。
- Sarah's new boyfriend is nice, but he's as nutty as a fruitcake. He talks to invisible friends and believes in conspiracy theories.（Sarah 的新男朋友人很好，但他像水果蛋糕一样古怪。他和看不见的朋友交谈，信仰阴谋论。）
- The professor's ideas were as nutty as a fruitcake, leading to skepticism among his colleagues.（这位教授的想法像水果蛋糕一样疯狂，引起了同事们的怀疑。）
- After staying up all night working on his invention, Tom started acting as nutty as a fruitcake, claiming that his toaster could communicate with aliens.（在整夜工作在他的发明上后，汤姆开始表现得像水果蛋糕一样疯狂，声称他的烤面包机可以与外星人交流。）
如果一定要说蛋糕，为了避免引起歧义，直接说“cake”就可以，或者在“fruit cake”前面加上“fresh”，表示鲜果蛋糕。说到这里，再为大家介绍一些和“cake”有关的表达。
a piece of/a slice of cake 切片蛋糕
Would you like a piece of/a slice of/some cake?你想来块/片/些蛋糕吗？
piece of cake 非常容易的事情
- Don't worry about the exam, it'll be a piece of cake for you since you've been studying so hard.（别担心考试，对你来说会非常容易，因为你一直在努力学习。）
- After climbing that mountain, running a marathon was a piece of cake for Sarah.（在爬完那座山之后，对于莎拉来说跑马拉松就是小菜一碟。）
- Cooking dinner for ten guests is a piece of cake for my mom; she's a fantastic chef.（为十位客人做晚餐对我妈妈来说易如反掌；她是一位出色的厨师。）
go/sell like hot cakes 热销
"Sell like hot cakes" 这个短语的起源可以追溯到19世纪美国，当时热烤饼（hot cakes）是一种受欢迎的早餐食物，通常在集市或街头摊点上烹饪并迅速售罄。因此，这个短语意味着某物被迅速、热烈地买走，就像热烤饼一样。
- The new iPhone model went like hot cakes on the first day of its release, with stores selling out within hours.（新款 iPhone 在发布的第一天就像热烤饼一样畅销，商店在几小时内就售罄了。）
- Tickets for the concert are selling like hot cakes; you should buy yours soon before they are all gone.（音乐会的门票像热烤饼一样热销；你应该尽快买票，以免全部售罄。）
- The limited edition sneakers sold like hot cakes, with fans lining up outside the store hours before it opened.（限量版运动鞋像热烤饼一样卖得很好，粉丝们在店铺开门前就排队等候数小时。）
the icing on the cake 锦上添花之物
- Winning the championship was amazing, but receiving a scholarship to his dream college was the icing on the cake for Jake.（赢得冠军是令人惊叹的，但获得他梦想大学的奖学金对杰克来说是锦上添花。）
- The promotion at work was great, but the surprise party thrown by his colleagues was truly the icing on the cake.（在工作中获得晋升很棒，但同事们举办的惊喜派对才是真正的锦上添花。）
- The vacation was already wonderful, and seeing the Northern Lights was the icing on the cake for Sarah and her family.（度假已经很美妙了，看到极光对莎拉和她的家人来说是锦上添花。）
have your cake and eat it (too) 两者兼得
"Have your cake and eat it (too)" 这个短语源自古英语谚语“you can't eat your cake and have it too”，意味着你不能同时拥有和享用同一块蛋糕。在现代用法中，这个短语表示想要两全其美，即想要两个相互矛盾的事情同时实现，通常是不可能的。返回搜狐，查看更多
- Sarah wants to quit her job, but she also wants a promotion. She can't have her cake and eat it too; she needs to make a decision.（莎拉想辞职，但她又想得到晋升。她不能两全其美；她需要做出一个决定。）
- Mark wants to travel the world and save money at the same time. He needs to understand that he can't have his cake and eat it too; he may need to prioritize one over the other.（马克想环游世界并同时存钱。他需要明白他不能两全其美；他可能需要优先考虑其中一项。）
- You can't expect to party all night and still be fresh for work the next morning. You can't have your cake and eat it too.（你不能指望整晚狂欢然后第二天早上还精神饱满地去工作。你不能两全其美。）
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