科学网-谣盐过后说盐词-刘进平的博文

谣盐过后说盐词

2011-3-27 07:40

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1、Worth one’s salt（worth one’s salt means deserving what one earns; efficient and capable; worthy of respect or being so called; deserving of one's wages or salary；good at one's job）：称职、得力, 理所应得、名副其实、一分钱一分货、胜任的、称职的、名副其实的

盐（Salt）在古时候（公元前5世纪开始）是非常贵重的。在古波斯，盐的生产和分配权握在君主手里，就像今天的货币发行一样。在货币出现之前，或者在物品交换（barter）系统被废除之前，雇主们经常用盐来交换雇员的service，salary一词因而由salt演变而来。

另一说是盐对人体非常重要，但是在古罗马盐资源短缺，为了保证上战场打仗的士兵能有足够的盐，定量作为军饷发给士兵。如果士兵英勇奋战，就说 worth his salt ，如果士兵畏缩不前，就说 not worth his salt。当我们描述一个没用的人时，我们会用not worth his salt。

The young inspector was willing to take that thorny case just to prove that he was worth his salt.

那位年轻的探长愿意承办那件棘手的案子，为的是要证明他是称职的。

The poor performance of the team at the tournament greatly disappointed the local football fans and they thought the coach was not worth his salt.

锦标赛上那队伍踢得不好，使当地的足球迷大为失望，他们认为教练并不称职。

Any teacher worth his salt can answer the question. 只要是称职的老师都能回答这个问题。

He has had three jobs in the past year, and all his employers have said the same thing—he’s lazy, he refused to learn, and he is not worth his salt at all.

他去年有三分工作，但是他的所有老板都一致认为——他懒散，不愿意学习，实在没有一点雇用价值。

Not everyone in our factory is worth his salt.

我们工厂里并非人人都称职。

Any engineer worth his salt should know how that machine works.

每个称职的工程师都应该了解那台机器的性能。

2、With a grain of salt 半信半疑地；有保留地、须打折扣地、持保留（怀疑）态度（do not completely believe something but to consider it with reserve or allowance; with an attitude of skepticism）。Take sth. with a Pinch / Grain of Salt对某物（通常是别人说的话）抱有怀疑态度，不完全相信。

过去盐不仅是昂贵的生活必需品，而且人们还认为盐有解毒功效，加盐可解除食物中的下的毒，或避免生病，因此加一点盐来形容“半信半疑地”。如You have to take everything she says with apinch of salt. She has a tendency to exaggerate.

3、Above the salt在上席，被尊为上宾，受尊敬

英国中世纪伊丽莎白时代，盐仍然被视为珍品。王公贵族们的餐桌上都摆着一个很大的盐罐，盐罐放在饭桌中央，贵宾坐在盐罐的上首（above the salt），而普通客人、穷亲远戚则坐在离盐罐较远的地方（below/beneath/under the salt）。因此Above the salt为“在上席，被尊为上宾”的意思，而below the salt表示“做陪客，处于我足轻重的地位，坐下席，被小看”。这两个词与“sit”连用。

宴会上，当我们想要邀请一位贵宾坐上席的时候，可以说Please sit above the salt。Salt（盐）

When I entered the banquet hall, they all stood up and asked me to sit above the salt.

我一走进宴会厅，他们都站了起来，请我坐上席。

4、the Salt of the Earth由“世上的盐（地球上最稀有贵重的东西）”引申为“诚实善良的人们，社会上各类人中最高尚、最好的那一类，高尚的人，社会中坚，人类精华。（A person or group considered as the best or noblest part of society.）”近代英语有时还用来比喻有权势的人或富豪、贵族。

据《新约·马太福音》第5章第13节记载：耶酥对他的门徒说：“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith should it be salted ?”(“你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？”)把门徒比作“世上的盐”，这是极高的称赞。后来 the salt of the earth 成为一典故性成语。