cut down

英 [ˌkʌt ˈdaʊn]

美 [ˌkʌt ˈdaʊn]

削减; 减少使用; 砍倒（树木）

柯林斯词典

PHRASAL VERB 削减;减少使用
If youcut down onsomething orcut downsomething, you use or do less of it.
1. He cut down on coffee and cigarettes, and ate a balanced diet...
  他喝咖啡和吸烟都比以前少了，饮食也均衡了。
2. Car owners were asked to cut down travel...
  要求车主们减少驾车出行的次数。
3. If you spend more than your income, can you try to cut down?
  如果你入不敷出，可以试着减少开支吗？
PHRASAL VERB 砍倒(树木)
If youcut downa tree, you cut through its trunk so that it falls to the ground.
1. A vandal with a chainsaw cut down a tree.
  一个故意破坏公物的人用链锯伐倒了一棵树。
→ see:cut 7

verb

cut down on
1. reduce your daily fat intake
2. The employer wants to cut back health benefits
Synonym:reducecut backtrimtrim downtrim backcutbring down
intercept (a player)
Synonym:cut out
cause to come or go down
1. The policeman downed the heavily armed suspect
2. The mugger knocked down the old lady after she refused to hand over her wallet
Synonym:downknock downpush downpull down
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
1. strike down a tree
2. Lightning struck down the hikers
Synonym:felldropstrike down
cut with a blade or mower
1. mow the grass
Synonym:mow
cut with sweeping strokes
Synonym:slash

It seems a false economy to me to cut down on libraries.
在我看来，减少图书馆的数量并不是真正的节约。
If you spend more than your income, can you try to cut down?
如果你入不敷出，可以试着减少开支吗？
They cut down some trees to knock down the fire and prevent it from spreading further.
他们砍倒了一些树以控制火势，使火不再蔓延开去。
In the old society hunger, cold and illness cut down many of the villagers.
在旧社会，饥饿、寒冷和疾病夺去了村里许多人的生命。
He cut down on coffee and cigarettes, and ate a balanced diet
他喝咖啡和吸烟都比以前少了，饮食也均衡了。
For every tree cut down, three or four new ones are planted.
每砍倒一棵树就要种上三四棵树。
The once-powerful post unions have been cut down to size.
一度很强势的邮政联盟已经威风不再。
He will now try to cut down the task to a manageable size
他现在要努力把任务的规模降至可控的范围。
We must cut down on the amount of material we use.
我们必须削减原料使用量。
The article is too long and should be cut down by half.
这篇稿子太长，得砍去一半。