■ (take... for) granted

1) 最基本的含义是“视为当然”，不去深究为什么，也不设想万一不如此又会如何。多少有一点负面的意义。直接宾语是某一情况。

• We take the air we breathe and the water we drink for granted, just as the sun and the moon.我们对于自己呼吸的空气和喝的水，都视为当然，就像看到太阳和月亮一样。
• The government should not take the people's support for granted.政府不应该把民众的拥护视为当然。
• I was amazed that virtually all the things I took for granted up north just didn't happen in London.我原先把北方那边的事情想得十分当然，没想到到了伦敦全都不是那么一回事。

2) 可以去掉负面的意义，用以表示“肯定不成问题”。直接宾语也是某一情况。

• We may take that for granted.那一点可以算是不成问题。
• It is taken for granted that every child should learn mathematics.每个孩子都应该学数学，这是不成问题的。
• We take it for granted that knowledge advances rapidly.知识进展得很快，对这一点，我们可以肯定。

3) 去掉负面的意义，用以表示“掌握得十分熟练”、“得心应手”。直接宾语是“本领”。

• Screen stars also take for granted the kind of stage skills that show up only in rare politician, such as John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton. (US News & World Report, Oct. 26, 2003, p.22)上银幕的演员，对于只有罕见的少数政客如约翰·肯尼迪和比尔·克林顿才有的演技才能，也是得心应手、游刃有余的。
• I came into adult life clueless about a lot of things that most people take for granted.我进入成年人生活的时候，大多数人不成问题的许多事情，我却茫无所知。

4) 直接宾语是别人或别人做的事，表示对这个别人漠不关心，或是不识相，不领他的情。

• He takes her for granted.他不领她的情。
• You take me too much for granted.你对我太不领情了。
• One of the problems with relationships is that after a while you begin to take each other for granted.人们结交时常常出现的一个问题，就是过不了多久就互相不在乎了。