中国人最易误解的英语第42期:坐在盐上

Bruce was taken up above the salt.

（误译）布鲁斯坐在盐上。
（正译）布鲁斯被请坐上席。

take up 拿起；开始从事；占据(时间,地方)

1. 开始从事

He was eager to take up some job.
他热切的要开始从事一些工作。

The full Senate will take up the matter after this week's Thanksgiving recess, with the leadership keen to pass it before Christmas.
参议院全体在本周感恩节假期后将开始从事这件事，领导层非常想在圣诞节之前通过这项法案。

2. 拿起

Even his recreation consisted in change of study, laying down one subject to take up another.
连他的消遣都是放下一个科目又拿起另一个科目的变换研究。

And pink noise, our son’s favorite, sounds like the tone you’d hear were you to take up residence inside a conch shell.
粉色的噪音，是我们儿子的最爱，听起来像你听到的音调，你拿起一个海螺居住在里面。

3. 占据(时间,地方)

Then, we plot the different graphs so that they each take up one fourth of the screen.
然后，我们绘制不同的曲线图，从而它们可以每个图占据屏幕的四分之一。

Hand, arm and leg movements are toward their own body as the liar tries to take up less space.
手、手臂和腿的移动都靠向自己的身体，因为撒谎者设法占据更少的空间。

above the salt 坐上席；受尊敬

Respect Above The Salt 尊为上宾

Please sit above the salt 请坐在首位

When I entered the banquet hall, they all stood up and asked me to sit above the salt.
我走进宴会厅时，他们都站起来，请我坐上席。