Chinese abbreviation,containing fewer words and delivering a wealth of information,is a vital component of Chinese language.But the tremendous differences between Chinese and English make it an arduous task to translate Chinese abbreviations into English.Based on the analyses of the structure and patterns of word–formation of Chinese abbreviations,it makes a classification of Chinese abbreviations,summarize the translation methods,and point out some attention points in translation.A systematic analysis on the structure and classification of Chinese abbreviations will be beneficial to reduce the mistakes in its translation.