An abridged book, play, or recording is the short version: someone has cut it down but tried to keep the shape and the heart of the original. School readers and many audiobooks are abridged so the story still makes sense, but the longest or hardest parts are gone.

An abridged book, play, or recording is the short version一本abridged的書、劇本或錄音，指的是縮短過的版本: someone has cut it down but tried to keep the shape and the heart of the original有人把它剪短了，但試著保留原著的架構和精神。School readers and many audiobooks are abridged so the story still makes sense學校的讀本和很多有聲書都是abridged的，好讓故事還是說得通, but the longest or hardest parts are gone但最長或最難的部分被拿掉了。

The opposite is unabridged — every word, which is what you want in a full dictionary or when you are ready for the real novel. You will see “abridged edition” on covers.

The opposite is unabridged相反詞是unabridged — every word也就是一字不漏, which is what you want in a full dictionary or when you are ready for the real novel這正是你查完整字典，或準備好讀真正的小說時想要的。You will see "abridged edition" on covers你會在封面上看到"abridged edition"（節錄版）的字樣。

The same form can also be the past of the verb: “They abridged the play last year.” Though actually, “abridged” on a cover is a help and a warning together: you will finish faster, but you are not reading everything the writer wrote.

The same form can also be the past of the verb同樣的形式也可以當動詞的過去式用: "They abridged the play last year."像「They abridged the play last year.」（他們去年把這齣劇刪節過）。Though actually不過事實上, "abridged" on a cover is a help and a warning together封面上的"abridged"同時是個幫助也是個警告: you will finish faster你會讀得比較快, but you are not reading everything the writer wrote但你讀到的不是作者寫的全部內容。