每日英語 #133: The Cost of Wedding Cakes

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The Cost of Wedding Cakes

The costs of having a wedding in the United States can be very high. While some people prefer a simple “wedding ceremony” (official event to get married) and “reception” (party or celebration after a wedding or other ceremony), some “couples” (two people who are together romantically) “go all out” (do the maximum; do something without limits).

在美國舉辦婚禮的費用可能非常高。雖然有些人喜歡簡單的「婚禮儀式」（結婚的正式活動）和「婚宴」（婚禮或其他儀式後的派對或慶祝活動），但有些「情侶」（浪漫關係中的兩個人）會「全力以赴」（做到極致；無限制地去做）。

The reception itself can be very “costly” (expensive). The price of “renting” (paying money to use a place for a short time) a place to hold the reception and “catering” (professional service to provide food for guests) can really “run up the tab” (add up to a high price).

婚宴本身可能非常「昂貴」（花費高）。「租借」（支付費用以短期使用場地）舉辦婚宴的場所以及「餐飲服務」（專業提供客人食物的服務）價格可以讓帳單「迅速增加」（累積到高價）。

One of the major expenses is the wedding cake, which can be very “elaborate” (fancy; complicated, with many parts). According to a 2007 Reader’s Digest article, real wedding cakes in the U.S. cost an average of $550.

其中一項主要費用是婚禮蛋糕，它可能非常「精緻」（華麗且複雜，含有許多部分）。根據2007年《讀者文摘》的一篇文章，美國的婚禮蛋糕平均價格為550美元。

But now, there’s one way to cut costs: a fake wedding cake! To save money, some Americans are buying a “replica” (copy) made of “foam,” the white material used to pack the inside of packages to prevent the contents from breaking. In these fake cakes, there is a secret compartment or section for the first “slice” (piece) of cake that is “cut” and eaten by the bride and groom.

但現在有一種節省費用的方法：使用假婚禮蛋糕！為了省錢，一些美國人購買由「泡沫」（用來包裝物品以防破損的白色材料）製作的「複製品」（仿製品）。在這些假蛋糕中，有一個隱藏的隔層或部分是專門為新郎新娘「切」下的第一「片」（蛋糕）而準備的。

The tradition is for the bride and groom to feed each other the cake, often with their hands, and it can get very messy. Once that part of the wedding reception is over, the fake cake is taken into the kitchen and the guests are served slices of a much less expensive cake.

傳統上，新郎新娘會互相餵對方蛋糕，通常是用手餵，這過程可能會非常凌亂。當婚宴的這個部分結束後，假蛋糕會被帶到廚房，然後客人們會享用價格更低的蛋糕切片。

重要單字

• 1. Wedding ceremony - 婚禮儀式 / [ˈwɛdɪŋ ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni]
• 2. Reception - 婚宴 / [rɪˈsɛpʃən]
• 3. Couple - 情侶 / [ˈkʌpəl]
• 4. Go all out - 全力以赴 / [ɡoʊ ɔl aʊt]
• 5. Costly - 昂貴的 / [ˈkɔstli]
• 6. Renting - 租借 / [ˈrɛntɪŋ]
• 7. Catering - 餐飲服務 / [ˈkeɪtərɪŋ]
• 8. Run up the tab - 帳單迅速增加 / [rʌn ʌp ðə tæb]
• 9. Elaborate - 精緻的 / [ɪˈlæbərɪt]
• 10. Replica - 仿製品 / [ˈrɛplɪkə]
• 11. Foam - 泡沫 / [foʊm]
• 12. Slice - 片 / [slaɪs]