to sit above the salt地位显赫

【使用地区】：英国

【释义】：

To sit in a place of honor．In ancient times salt was highly valued，so much so that spilling salt became an unlucky omen among the Romans．Roman soldiers were in fact paid in salt(sal)at one time，this the origin of our word salary．Through the centuries a number of expressions reflected the importance of this precious seasoning and preservative．“Not worth his salt”referred to the salary the Romans paid their soldiers；to sit above the salt was to sit in a place of distinction，above the saler，or saltcellar，at a medieval table．The last expression is still used in Britain，as is its opposite．Below the Salt is the title of a historical novel by Thomas Costain．

此短语意为“坐在荣誉位置上，上坐”。在古代，盐非常贵重，以至于罗马人将撒了盐视为不祥的征兆。据说，罗马士兵的军饷一度用盐(sal)支付，这是salary(薪金)一词的词源。几个世纪以来，大量说法反映了“盐”这种宝贵调味品和防腐剂的重要性。如短语Not worth his salt意为“不称职，不能胜任，不值得雇用”，该词组的字面意思是“不配给他盐”，这里的“盐”指的是罗马人付给士兵的军饷；短语to sit above the salt指在中世纪时“坐在桌子上的显赫的位置上”，也可以说to sit above the saler或to sit above the saltcellar。最后一个表达方式仍然在英国使用，Below the Salt即是其反义词组，这一短语还是Thomas Costain写的一部历史小说书名。