image about idiom to take something with a pinch of salt

to take something with a pinch of salt 半信半疑、聽聽就好

聽起來很奇怪:一小撮鹽竟然能改變你對一句話的判斷,但這正是重點。這個說法暗示,「純粹」的資訊有時也需要加點「調味」,你才會願意接受。

常被提到的歷史關聯,是拉丁語片語 cum grano salis(意為「加上一粒鹽」),在古代文獻中就出現過,後來也被歐洲多種語言用來表示保持懷疑或不要照字面全信。

to take something with a pinch of salt 的意思是「對某事抱持懷疑、不要全盤相信」,因為內容可能誇大、有偏見或不可靠。這句話常用在聽到謠言、很誇張的說法,或來自不太可信之人的建議時。


應用

• 使用頻率:8/10

• 適用場合:Casual

例句

• When Mark said HR was planning to give everyone a raise, I took it with a pinch of salt until I saw the official email.
(馬克說人資打算幫大家加薪,我先當參考,看到正式郵件前不會太當真。)

• Honestly, you should take everything he says with a pinch of salt; he tends to exaggerate a lot.
(說真的,他講的話你聽聽就好,他很愛誇大其詞。)

• My cousin swears this new diet will make you lose 10 pounds in a week, but I’d take that with a pinch of salt.
(我表哥說這個新飲食法一週能讓人瘦十磅,但我覺得這種話聽聽就好,別太認真。)