These words all mean to reduce the amount or size of sth, especially of an amount of money or a business. 以上各词均含减少、缩小之义，尤指削减经费、缩减生意。

• cut to reduce sth, especially an amount of money that is demanded, spent, earned, etc. or the size of a business 指削减、缩减、裁减（尤指经费、开支、收入或生意规模）：◆The President has promised to cut taxes significantly. 总统承诺大幅度减税。◆Buyers will bargain hard to cut the cost of the house they want. 买主会竭力讨价还价以压低他们想买的房子的价格。◆His salary has been cut by ten per cent. 他的薪金减少了百分之十。◆Could you cut your essay from 5 000 to 3 000 words? 请把你的文章从 5 000 字删减至 3 000 字好吗？
• slash [often passive] (rather informal) (often used in newspapers) to reduce sth by a large amount （常用于报章）指大幅度削减、大大降低：◆The workforce has been slashed by half. 职工人数裁减了一半。
• cut sth back/cut back on sth to reduce sth, especially an amount of money or business 指削减、缩减、裁减（尤指经费或生意）：◆We had to cut back production. 我们只得减产了。
• scale sth back (especially NAmE or business 商业) to reduce sth, especially an amount of money or business 指削减、缩减、裁减（尤指经费或生意）：◆The IMF has scaled back its growth forecasts for the next decade. 国际货币基金组织已经调低对未来十年的增长预测。
• rationalize (BrE, business 商业) to make changes to a business or system, in order to make it more efficient, especially by spending less money 指对企业或制度进行合理化改革、使合理化、使有经济效益
• downsize (business 商业) to make a company or an organization smaller by reducing the number of jobs in it, in order to reduce costs 指公司或机构精简人员以降低成本 NOTE Downsize is often used by people who want to avoid saying more obvious words like 'dismiss' or 'make redundant' because they sound too negative. 人们通常使用 downsize 以避免使用 dismiss 或 make redundant 等词义直白的词，因为这些词听起来过于负面。

Patterns

• to cut/slash/cut back on/scale back/rationalize spending/production
• to cut/slash/cut back on jobs
• to cut/slash/downsize the workforce
• to cut/slash/rationalize the cost of sth
• to cut/slash prices/taxes/the budget
• to cut sth/slash sth/cut sth back drastically