为节约笔墨，求得译文精当、简洁、富有生气，在不影响原意表达的前提下，可以根据具体情况对原文的某些词句进行适当的删减或缩译。这种减译法无一定规则可循，涉及面广，是修辞减译法运用的主要方面。这一译法运用得是否得当，对译文的语言质量有不少的影晌，试看以下名例：

1. In future combats for sea control, the decisive factor will find us origins in the navy's air and surface forces.

在未来争夺制海权的战斗中，海军的空中力量和水面力量将是决定性的因素.(will-in缩译）

2. The First manned landing on the Moon surface was achieved by American astronauts on July 20, 1969

1969年7月20日，美国宇航员首次登上月球。（manned、surface, was achieved 均减译）

3. The earthworms use as food some of the plant material in the soil they swallow.

蚯蚓以土壤中的某些植物为食。（material和定语从句 they swallow 减译）

4. The cat that has been delivered to you has undergone a special protective process to enable it to withstand damage by corrosive agents it will encounter.

本车出厂前已进行特殊的防护处理，因此可以耐受腐蚀剂的损害。（第一个定语从句that…you缩译；第二个定语从句it…encounter减译）

5. However, we doubt very much whether, at present, Western intelligence has a precise picture about what the future Soviet MBT will look like.

然而，人们十分怀疑目前西方情报部门是否对苏联未来的主战坦克了若指掌。（介词宾词从句中的what和 will…like均减译）

6. No one knows how many mothers lose their babies, before they are born because of defects or diseases.

没有人知道有多少母亲是因胎儿的缺陷或疾病而流产的。（状语从句before…born减译）

7. In the course of the same year，war broke out in that area.

同年，该地区爆发了战争。（短语介词in...of减译）