Most mines are tunnels — you dig down and go in. A strip mine is the opposite: instead of tunnelling, you scrape off everything on top of the coal or metal — the trees, the soil, the rock — and take the coal from the open surface. What is left is a huge open hole or a long bare gash across the land.

Most mines大多數的礦場 are tunnels是坑道——you你 dig down往下挖 and go in然後走進去。 A strip mine is the opposite正好相反：instead of tunnelling不挖地道，you你 scrape off刮掉 on top of the coal or metal煤或金屬上面的 everything所有東西——the trees樹、the soil土、the rock岩石——and然後 from the open surface從敞開的地表 take the coal把煤取走。 What is left留下來的 is是 a huge open hole一個巨大的露天大洞，or或 across the land橫過大地 a long bare gash一道光禿禿的長口子。

It is used because it is cheap and quick and safer for the workers than sending them underground. It is argued about because of what it does to the place afterwards: the forest is gone, the streams run dirty, and putting the land back the way it was is slow and often not done properly. So you almost always meet this word inside an argument about the environment.

It is used人們用它 because是因為 it它 is cheap and quick便宜又快，and而且 for the workers對工人來說 than sending them underground比把他們送進地底 safer更安全。 It is argued about它有爭議 because of是因為 afterwards事後 what it does to the place它對那個地方做的事：the forest is gone森林沒了，the streams run dirty溪水變髒，and而 putting the land back the way it was把土地恢復原狀 is slow很慢，and often not done properly而且常常沒好好做。 So所以 you你 almost always幾乎總是 inside an argument about the environment在關於環境的爭論裡 meet this word遇到這個字。

English uses it both ways. As a noun (often two words, strip mine) it is the hole itself. As a verb (usually hyphenated, to strip-mine) it is the act: 'the company wants to strip-mine the whole valley'. The activity is strip mining.

English英語 uses it both ways兩種用法都用它。 As a noun當名詞時（often two words常寫成兩個字 strip mine）it它 is the hole itself就是那個坑本身。 As a verb當動詞時（usually hyphenated通常加連字號 to strip-mine）it它 is the act是那個動作：'the company wants to strip-mine the whole valley'那家公司想把整個山谷都露天開採。 The activity這項活動 is strip mining叫 strip mining。

People also stretch the verb to mean taking everything of value out of something and leaving it ruined — 'they strip-mined the company for its assets'.

People人們 also stretch the verb也把這個動詞伸出去，to mean拿來表示 out of something把某個東西裡 taking everything of value所有有價值的都拿走，and leaving it ruined然後任它毀壞——'they strip-mined the company for its assets'他們為了資產把公司整個掏空了。