Receiving a salary may seem sweet, but the word originates¹ with a different flavor².

 

领到薪水或许是件挺开心的事情，不过薪水（salary）这个词的来源却另有故事。

 

In ancient times, because salt wasn't always easy to come by (and because it was a leading way to improve flavor even back then), Roman soldiers were given a sum of money -- a salarium -- with which to purchase salt.

 

在古时候，盐不是那么容易得到的东西（而且那时候用盐调味也是一种超前的生活方式），罗马士兵会领到一笔钱（salarium）专门用来买盐。

 

Over time, salarium (from the Latin³ salarius, 'of salt') came to refer simply to money paid the soldiers, and then to monies paid to any official of the Roman Empire, and eventually to wages in general.

 

慢慢的，salarium（源于拉丁语salarius，指“盐的”）一词逐渐用来指代发给士兵的军饷以及发给罗马帝国所有官员的钱资，直至后来，用来统指“薪水、薪资”。