和其他一切事物一样，翻译也是有增必有减。懂了增译法之后自然也就会懂得什么是减译法。它是增译法的反面：以同一个译例来说，在英译汉中如果用增译法的话，在汉译英中自然就要用减译法了。把第二节中的31个例子倒译的话(即把汉译英改为英译汉或把英译汉变为汉译英)，所用的译法就不是增译法而是减译法了。
关于减译法，应该记住这样一条总原则：减译法是指原文中有些词在译文中不译
者在译文中是不言而喻的；换言之，减译法是删去一些可有可无的，或者有了反嫌累赘或违背译文习惯表达法的词，但减译并不是把原文的某些思想内容删去。
此外，冠词、连词、代词(尤其是人称代词、关系代词)、关系副词，等等，在英语中经常使用，但译成汉语时几乎很少出现，要使译文忠实而地道，减译法就自然必不可少了。例如：
1．A book is useful．
书(是)有用(的)。
2．The earth goes around the sun．
地球绕太阳转。
3．
礼拜天我们不上学。
4．Mr．Bingley was good-looking and gentleman-like．
宾利先生风度翩翩，彬彬有礼。
5．A wise man will not marry a woman who has attainments but no virtue．聪明的人是不会娶有才无德的女子为妻的。
6write to him，the response would be absolute silence and void．你写信给他，总是石沉大海。
7．Sunday is the am least busy．
星期天我最不忙。
8．Could you help me in any way?
你能帮帮我吗?
9．Winter is the best time to study the growth of trees．Although the leaves
are gone and the branches are bare，the trees themselves are beautiful．
冬天是研究树木生长的最好的季节，虽
则树叶落了，树枝光了，但树木本身却
是美丽的。
冬天是研究树木生长的最好的季节，虽
则树叶落了，树枝光了，但树木本身很
美丽。
10．He put his hands into his pockets
．
11．Anyone who does not recognize this fact is not a materialist．
不承认这个事实，就不是唯物主义者。
12．These developing countries cover vast territories，encompass a large population and abound in natural resources．
这些发展中国家，土地辽阔，人口众多，
资源丰富。(或：这些发展中国家地大
物博，人口众多。)
13．我们要培养分析问题、解决问题的能力。
We must cultivate the ability to analyze and solve problems．
14．要推迟战争的爆发，就要反对那样的绥靖政策，不管是军事的、政治的、经济的绥靖，都要反对。
To delay the outbreak of war，it is necessary(or essential)to oppose
the policy of appeasement like
that，militarily，politically and
economically．
15．Everywhere you can find new types of men and objects in New China．新中国处处可以看到新人、新事物。
16．他们为国家做的事，比我们所做的多得多。
They have done much more for the state than we have．
17．郭沫若同志曾说：“中国人民历来是勇于探索、勇于创造、勇于革命的。”
Comrade Guo Moruo once said：“The
people of China have always been courageous enough to probe into
things，to make inventions and to
make revolution．”
18
既不带阳电，也不带阴电。
A proton has a positive charge and
an electron a negative charge，but
a neutron has neither．
19．When it is dark in the east，it is
light in the west；when things are dark
in the south there is still light in
the north．
东方不亮西方亮，黑了南方有北方。
entirely right to say
food，let everyone share it.
说有饭大家吃并不完全正确。
21．Eight o’clock found Franz up and dressed．
八点钟，弗兰兹起床穿衣。
22．It is the US that is distorting
