python : can reduce be translated into list comprehensions like map, lambda and filter?

It is no secret that reduce is not among the favored functions of the Pythonistas.

Generically, reduce is a left fold on a list

It is conceptually easy to write a fold in Python that will fold left or right on a iterable:

def fold(func, iterable, initial=None, reverse=False):
    x=initial
    if reverse:
        iterable=reversed(iterable)
    for e in iterable:
        x=func(x,e) if x is not None else e
    return x

Without some atrocious hack, this cannot be replicated in a comprehension because there is not accumulator type function in a comprehension.

Just use reduce — or write one that makes more sense to you.