But Lee Smith's new book concludes that diminishing the American presence in the Middle East at this moment could create dangerous new instabilities that could worsen,not improve, the prospects for peace in the region.

VOA: standard.2010.03.18

This, I think you've gotten from other economics courses-- we have something called diminishing marginal utility.

我认为你们已经从其它的经济学课程中学过了,称为边际收益递减

耶鲁公开课 - 金融市场课程节选

Another way of diminishing responsibility is you could accept orders.

减少责任的另一种方法就是,接受命令。

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选

Some 100,000 U.S.and NATO troops are currently in Afghanistan, but increasingly casualty figures and concerns about a growing Taliban threat and an ineffective and corrupt Afghan government have led to diminishing public support for the war.

VOA: standard.2009.11.13

The exact shape of the curve is subject to discussion, but the point of diminishing marginal utility is that, as you get more and more money, the increment in utility for each extra dollar diminishes.

这条曲线的确切形状还有待讨论,但是边际效用递减规律的重点在于,你得到的钱越多,每额外的一美元的增长效用会相对减小

耶鲁公开课 - 金融市场课程节选

And yet another way of diminishing responsibility is anonymity.

再有一种减少责任的办法就是匿名。

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选