VOA慢速英语--布拉格餐厅创造冠状病毒形状的甜点

Prague Restaurant Creates Coronavirus-Shaped Dessert

A restaurant in Prague, Czech Republic has invented a sweet treat shaped like the new coronavirus. The cake is an attempt to increase business -- and it is already popular with diners.

The Black Madonna restaurant has suffered as travel to the Czech Republic decreased because of the coronavirus health crisis¹. The country is battling one of the highest rates of coronavirus infections in Europe.

The cake's creator, Olga Budnik, said she got the idea while most businesses in Prague were closed earlier this year.

She told the Reuters news service, "I found a photo of the virus on the internet and I figured out in detail how to make the dessert - how to make the spikes³, what the color would be like, and I prepared it all."

The cake is a little smaller than a tennis ball. It has a chocolate surface and is covered with cocoa butter. The virus' "spikes" are made of white chocolate and dried raspberries.

Inside the cake is a nut filling with raspberry sauce and raspberries in the center.

The cake has been a big success. The restaurant has been selling more than 100 each day.

Vojtech Hermanek is the restaurant's marketing⁴ manager. He said the coronavirus crisis has caused "a huge drop" in business for Black Madonna and other Prague eateries.

He added, "But at the same time it was a chance to bring out the coronavirus cake which is a symbol...showing that not everything is lost."

Olga Budnik said she already looking ahead to the next product – a COVID-19 vaccination-themed sweet that tastes like "lots of lime⁵ with a bit of alcohol⁶."

Words in This Story

cake – n. a sweet baked food made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and other ingredients⁷ such as eggs and butter

manager – n. someone who is in charge of a business, department, etc.

spike² – n. something pointed⁸ like a nail

symbol – n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

3 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 lime   

n.石灰，酸橙，酸橙树，粘鸟胶，钙；vt.施石灰，涂上粘性物质，沾上粘鸟胶

参考例句：

• Lime exists in many soils.许多土壤中都含有石灰。
• A broad avenue of lime trees led up to a grand entrance with huge oak doors.一条栽有酸橙树的宽阔林阴道通向巨大的橡木门的雄伟入口。

6 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

7 ingredients   

n.（混合物的）组成部分( ingredient的名词复数 )；（烹调的）原料；（构成）要素；因素

参考例句：

• All ingredients are readily available from your local store. 所有的原料都可以方便地从你当地的商店买到。
• We never use second quality ingredients to build building. 我们决不使用次等材料用于建筑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。