英语短语"take (something) with a grain of salt"(或英式英语常用"take with a pinch of salt")的核心含义是:对某件事/某个信息半信半疑 不全信 有所保留地接受 ,强调需要谨慎对待,不能完全当真。
短语的字面意思是“和一粒盐一起吃”,起源可追溯至古罗马作家普林尼(Pliny the Elder)的《自然史》(Natural History)。书中提到,古代有一种解毒剂需要搭配一粒盐服用才能降低毒性——后来逐渐引申为:接收信息时要像“配盐解毒”一样,用“谨慎”稀释其“不可靠性”,不要全盘接受。
主语 + take + 信息/内容(sth) + with a grain of salt
(信息可以是story、claim、advice、rumor等)
当信息来源不可靠、内容夸张/不切实际,或你对其真实性有怀疑时,用这个短语提醒对方(或自己)保持谨慎。
对他人的说法存疑:
You should take his story about climbing Mount Everest with a grain of salt—he’s never even been camping.
(他说自己登过珠峰?你得半信半疑——他连露营都没去过。)
对媒体/文章的观点谨慎:
The newspaper’s headline about “a cure for diabetes” was taken with a grain of salt by doctors.
(报纸标题“糖尿病治愈方法”的说法,医生们根本不全信。)
对建议/传闻保留态度:
I took her advice about investing in crypto with a grain of salt—she lost all her money last year.
(她建议我投资加密货币?我没全听——她去年把钱全赔光了。)
用it指代前文内容:
He said he’d quit smoking tomorrow… Yeah, I’ll take it with a grain of salt.
(他说明天戒烟……呵呵,我才不全信呢。)
take (sth) with a pinch of salt(英式更常见,“一小撮盐”,和“一粒盐”意思一致)
be skeptical about sth(对…持怀疑态度)
not believe sth entirely/completely(不全信)
treat sth with caution(谨慎对待)
不要字面理解为“吃盐”,这是比喻用法;
通常用于负面/不确定的信息,不用于完全可信的内容;
可灵活调整结构,比如把“take”换成“should take”“will take”等,适应不同时态。
总结:这个短语是英语中表达“怀疑”的经典口语化表达,核心是提醒人们不要盲目相信,用理性过滤信息。