soft-pedal

verb

1. 低调处理；降低…的调门；对…轻描淡写
   to treat sth as less serious or important than it really is
   1. Television has been accused of soft-pedalling bad news.
      有人指责电视对坏消息轻描淡写。

in AM, use 美国英语用 soft-pedaling, soft-pedaled


1. VERB 缓和;减弱;降低…的力度
   If you soft-pedal something, you deliberately reduce the amount of activity or pressure that you have been using to get something done or seen.
   1. He refused to soft-pedal an investigation into the scandal.
      他拒绝降低对这起丑闻的调查力度。

1. He refused to soft-pedal an investigation into the scandal.
   他拒绝降低对这起丑闻的调查力度。
2. On the issue of industrial pollution, the environmental activist plead with the government not to soft-pedal.
   自环境护活动请求政府污染问题低调态。
3. Soft-pedal a potentially explosive issue.
   对可能是爆炸性的问题低调处理。
4. It will do well to soft-pedal expectations for its next meeting in London in April.
   它最好淡化人们对明年4月伦敦峰会的预期。
5. China has started to soft-pedal on tough new capital rules for its banks, watering down the requirements and giving them longer grace periods to adjust.
   中国开始放宽针对银行的严厉的资本金新规，降低了一些要求，并给银行留出了更长的适应期。
6. Surely these letters offer dramatic proof that Sister White was correct in warning us not to soft-pedal our urgent last-day warning message.
   当然这些信件提供了戏剧性的证据，证明怀姐妹警告我们不可低调处理末日警告的紧急信息是正确的。

verb

1. play down or obscure
   1. His advisers soft-pedaled the president's blunder