他总是贬低妻子的烹饪技术。 He's always running down his wife's cooking.
他贬低她所作的努力（认为是浪费时间）。 He decried her efforts (as a waste of time).
虽然助选团故意贬低她的作用，可是她以她的长才试行州长的想法，挑剔他的理论，评论他的演讲，并且时常指出他竞选作业的弱点并予改正。 Although the campaign plays down her role, she is the talent that test-drives the Governor's ideas, punches holes in his theories, comments on his speeches and often identifies the weak spots in his campaign operation and helps get them corrected.
她极力贬低他在这事件中的作用并抬高自己。 She tried to go play down his part in the affair and play up her own.
她极力贬低他在这一事件中的作用而抬高自己的作用。 She tried to play down his part in the affair and play up her own.