The Salt of the Earth社会中坚；民族精华；优秀份子
The Salt of the Earth这个成语，字面意思世上的盐
盐是饮食中不可缺少的调味品，人体若缺盐，健康就会受到影响，出现种种疾病。盐还有杀菌、解毒、消炎、除污等多种功用，它既是百药之王，又是工业之母，确是值得珍视的东西。在许多民族的习俗汇总，盐被当作敬客的高贵礼品.
The Salt of the Earth一词出自《圣经》，据《新约。马太福音》（Matthew）第5长记载：耶稣对他的门徒说:Ye are the salt of the earth:but if the salt have lost his savor,wherewith shall it be salted? 在这里，salt用于转义，表示flavor；of the earth即of the world。这是耶稣登山垂训论福，所讲福音结尾的话，他把门徒比做世上的盐，这是极高的称赞。这句话在后世不断引用变成了一个典故性成语，转义为the most valuable members of sociey;the finest type of humanity;a person or a group of people having the best character 之意.
eg: He does a lot of good jobs and is considered to be the salt of the world.