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This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the words “reduce” and “decrease.”
本周《名师答疑》，我们将回答关于reduce和decrease的问题。
Dear Teacher, would you please explain to me when to use “decrease” and “reduce?”
亲爱的老师，您能不能给我解释一下什么时候用reduce和decrease？
Thanks for giving us such valuable points.
谢谢您给我们非常有价值的观点。
Kind regards, Mahmoud in Saudi Arabia.
诚挚问候，来自沙特阿拉伯的马哈茂德。
Hello Mahmoud!
你好，马哈茂德！
Thank you for writing to us!
感谢你的来信！
The words “decrease” and “reduce” are often thought of as having the same meaning.
人们常常认为reduce和decrease的意思是一样的。
However, there are some differences, especially in the uses of “reduce.”
但也有一些不同之处，特别是reduce的用法。
Let’s look at each word more closely!
让我们更仔细地看看这两个词！
“Decrease” is a verb that can take a direct object, meaning it is transitive.
decrease是一个可以带直接宾语的动词，它是及物的。
It can also be intransitive which means that it does not take a direct object.
它也可以是不及物的，也就是它可以不带直接宾语。
“Decrease” means to grow less in amount, size or strength over time, or to cause to be less.
它的意思是随着时间的推移，数量、大小或力量变得更少，或者使变少。
Online shopping and big stores like Target have helped to decrease shopping malls in the US from 2,500 in the 1980s to around 700 malls now.
网购和塔吉特等大型商店促使美国的购物中心从20世纪80年代的2500家减少到现在的约700家。
Voter turnout numbers decreased during the midterm election in some states like West Virginia and Virginia.
在西弗吉尼亚和弗吉尼亚等一些州的中期选举期间，选民投票率有所下降。
Decrease can also be a noun.
decrease也可以是名词。
It is the process of growing less over time.
表示随着时间的推移变得越来越少的过程。
It is a countable noun.
是可数名词。
For example: There has been a decrease in newspaper reading over many years, possibly because of the internet.
例如：多年来，报纸阅读量一直在减少，可能是因为互联网。
Now let’s move on to “reduce.”
现在让我们继续讲reduce。
“Reduce” is a verb and has many more meanings.
它是一个动词，有更多的含义。
It is most often used as a transitive verb that takes a direct object, but sometimes, we can use it without a direct object.
它最常用作带直接宾语的及物动词，但有时，也可以不带直接宾语。
The general meaning is to make something smaller.
它一般是指把东西变得更小。
This meaning is most closely related to “decrease.”
这一含义与decrease关系最为密切。
Electric cars could reduce our need for gasoline-powered cars.
电动汽车可以减少我们对汽油车的需求。
Reduce can also mean to bring together into one and to narrow down.
reduce也可以指汇聚成一个并缩小范围。
Every year, I reduce my clothes by going through my closet and giving away some pieces.
每年，我都会清理衣柜，把一些衣服送人，从而精简衣物。
We can also reduce a liquid by boiling it.
我们也可以通过煮沸来浓缩液体。
This makes the taste stronger and there is less liquid.
使液体味道更浓，液体更少。
If you bring sugar to a boil and then reduce it, you are left with a thick caramel sauce.
如果你把糖水煮开并浓缩，剩下的就是浓稠的焦糖酱。
Reduce can also mean to bring to a certain state or condition, usually a negative one.
reduce也可以指使达到某种状态，通常是消极的。
We can use “reduce” with the preposition “to” to create a phrasal verb.
可以把reduce和介词to连用来构成短语动词。
The concert reduced her to tears.
音乐会使她泪流满面。
This sentence is in the active voice.
这个句子是主动语态。
This means that the concert moved the woman emotionally to such an extent that she cried.
意思是音乐会感动了这位女士，以至于她哭了。
We can also use the passive voice to mean that someone is reduced to a state or condition.
我们也可以用被动语态来表示某人被带到某种状态。
She was reduced to uncontrollable laughter after seeing the funny movie.
看了这部滑稽电影后，她忍不住笑了起来。
The forest was reduced to ashes by the wildfire.
森林被野火烧成了灰烬。
Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you!
请让我们知道这些解释和例子是否对你有帮助！
And that’s Ask a Teacher. I’m Faith Pirlo.
以上就是《名师答疑》。我是费思·皮尔洛。
