To change a whole planet — its air, its temperature, its water — until human beings could live there without a spacesuit. The idea is to make somewhere else more like Earth.

To change a whole planet指的是改造整顆星球 — its air它的空氣, its temperature溫度, its water還有水 — until直到 human beings could live there人類可以在那裡生活 without a spacesuit不用穿太空衣為止。The idea is這個想法就是 to make somewhere else more like Earth把別的地方變得更像地球

People talk about terraforming Mars: thickening the atmosphere, warming it up, melting the ice so there is liquid water. It is a verb: 'to terraform Mars', 'a terraformed moon', 'the terraforming of Venus'. The -ing form, 'terraforming', works as a noun and is the form you will see most.

People大家 talk about terraforming Mars討論terraforming火星的時候會提到: thickening the atmosphere把大氣層變厚, warming it up讓它暖化, melting the ice so there is liquid water融化冰讓它變成液態水。It它 is a verb是個動詞: 'to terraform Mars'像'to terraform Mars'（改造火星）, 'a terraformed moon''a terraformed moon'（被改造過的月球）, 'the terraforming of Venus'還有'the terraforming of Venus'（金星的地球化）。The -ing form-ing的形式, 'terraforming'也就是'terraforming', works as a noun可以當名詞用, and而且 is the form you will see most是你最常會看到的形式

This word was born in science fiction — an American writer coined it in 1942 — and it still lives mostly there: novels, films, and strategy games where you slowly turn a red planet green. But scientists now use it seriously too, usually to argue about whether it is possible at all, and how many centuries it would take.

This word這個字 was born in science fiction誕生於科幻小說 — an American writer coined it in 1942一位美國作家在1942年造出這個字 — and而且 it still lives mostly there它主要還是活在那裡: novels小說, films電影, and strategy games以及策略遊戲 where you slowly turn a red planet green你在裡面慢慢把一顆紅色星球變綠。But不過 scientists now use it seriously too科學家現在也認真使用這個字, usually通常是 to argue about whether it is possible at all用來討論這到底可不可能, and以及 how many centuries it would take要花上幾百年

People also borrow it as a joke or an exaggeration for making a place fit you: 'they've terraformed the whole neighbourhood into a shopping district'. That is a stretched use, and it always sounds a little playful.

People大家 also borrow it as a joke or an exaggeration也會拿它來開玩笑或誇張地用 for making a place fit you指把一個地方改造得很合你的意: 'they've terraformed the whole neighbourhood into a shopping district'像'they've terraformed the whole neighbourhood into a shopping district'（他們把整個社區「地球化」成了購物區）。That這 is a stretched use是一種延伸用法, and而且 it always sounds a little playful聽起來總是帶點玩笑味

One warning for anyone in tech: Terraform, with a capital T, is also the name of a well-known software tool for setting up servers. Completely unrelated to planets, and if you search the word online, that is mostly what you will find.

One warning for anyone in tech給科技圈的人一個提醒: TerraformTerraform, with a capital T大寫T開頭的, is also the name of也是 a well-known software tool一套知名軟體工具的名字, for setting up servers是用來架設伺服器的。Completely unrelated to planets跟星球完全無關, and而且 if you search the word online如果你上網搜尋這個字, that is mostly what you will find大部分找到的都會是這個