To deforest a place is to cut down, or burn down, the trees there so it is no longer a forest.

To deforest a place砍伐森林（deforest） is to cut down, or burn down, the trees there就是把那裡的樹木砍掉或燒掉 so it is no longer a forest讓那裡不再是森林。

People do this to make farmland, roads, mines, or towns.

People do this人們這麼做 to make farmland, roads, mines, or towns是為了開出農地、道路、礦場，或城鎮。

The tidy dictionary picture is “all the trees,” though actually a few may be left standing; what is gone is the forest as a living place.

The tidy dictionary picture字典上乾淨俐落的說法 is “all the trees,”是「所有的樹」，though actually不過事實上 a few may be left standing可能還會留下幾棵樹；what is gone重點是消失的 is the forest as a living place是那個作為活的生態環境的森林本身。

This is a verb: they deforested the valley. News and science like it; in everyday talk people often say cut down the forest, or jump to the noun deforestation.

This is a verb這是個動詞：they deforested the valley他們把那座山谷的森林砍光了。News and science新聞和科學文章 like it比較常用這個字；in everyday talk在日常口語裡 people often say cut down the forest人們常說 cut down the forest，or jump to the noun deforestation或直接用名詞 deforestation。

It is not a gentle word — it names a large, often ugly change to the land. You will meet it a lot in climate and wildlife writing.

It is not a gentle word這不是一個溫和的字——it names a large, often ugly change to the land它指的是對土地一種巨大、往往很難看的改變。You will meet it a lot你會常常遇到這個字 in climate and wildlife writing在氣候和野生動物相關的文章裡。

It is not the same as logging one patch and letting the woods grow back: that may still be cutting trees, but deforest is the stronger claim that the forest itself is being removed.

It is not the same as logging one patch and letting the woods grow back這跟砍一小塊林地讓它長回來不一樣：that可能 may still be cutting trees還是算砍樹，but deforest is the stronger claim但 deforest 講的是更強烈的主張，that the forest itself is being removed也就是森林這個整體正在被消滅。