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Subterranean means under the ground. It describes caves, rivers, tunnels, car parks, passages — anything below the earth's surface.
Subterranean means under the groundsubterranean的意思是在地底下。It describes caves, rivers, tunnels, car parks, passages它可以用來形容洞穴、河流、隧道、停車場、通道——anything below the earth's surface任何在地表以下的東西。
It is a formal and rather grand word; , news articles and novels use it, while in ordinary speech people say 'underground'. Because of that grandness it often carries a feeling of mystery: a subterranean world, a subterranean lake nobody has seen.
It is a formal and rather grand word這是一個正式又有點氣派的字; guidebooks, news articles and novels use it旅遊指南、新聞報導和小說會用它, while in ordinary speech people say 'underground'但日常口語裡人們會說underground。Because of that grandness it often carries a feeling of mystery正因為這種氣派感，它常帶有一種神祕的味道: a subterranean worlda subterranean world地底世界, a subterranean lake nobody has seena subterranean lake nobody has seen一座沒人見過的地底湖。
It also works figuratively for things that are hidden and moving quietly beneath the surface of a situation — 'subterranean tensions in the family', meaning trouble that is really there but out of sight.
It also works figuratively for things that are hidden and moving quietly beneath the surface of a situation它也可以比喻用來指那些隱藏起來、在情況表面之下悄悄流動的東西——'subterranean tensions in the family'「subterranean tensions in the family」，家庭裡潛藏的緊張關係, meaning trouble that is really there but out of sight意思是問題確實存在，只是看不見。
As a noun it is rare; you may meet it in older writing for an underground place or for someone who lives below ground, but you should treat it as an adjective. Note it is not usually used for ordinary things like a basement — you would just say 'the basement'.
As a noun it is rare當名詞用很少見; you may meet it in older writing for an underground place or for someone who lives below ground你可能會在較舊的文章裡看到它指地底的地方，或住在地底下的人, but you should treat it as an adjective但你應該把它當形容詞來用。Note it is not usually used for ordinary things like a basement要注意，它通常不會用在像地下室這種普通的東西上——you would just say 'the basement'你只要說'the basement'就好。
組成sub- (under) + terra (earth, land) + -anean/-an (making an adjective). Literally: belonging to under the earth.
同家族的字
- terrainsame Latin terra 'earth' — the shape of the land
- territorysame terra — an area of land
- Mediterraneansame terra with medi- 'middle' — the sea in the middle of the land
- terracesame terra — a raised flat piece of earth
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
subterraneanadj/ˌsʌbtəˈɹeɪniən/
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Below ground, under the earth, underground.
- Again the bearers took up the coffin, and cold and damp the subterranean air came from the opened vault. The tapers were lowered, and shed a ghastly light on the rows of piled coffins, and the moisture glittering on the walls.
- And you were in the parking lot / Subterranean by your own design
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Secret, concealed.
- The subterranean tool of buying rigged opinion polling and media coverage is outlined in remarkable detail in chat exchanges recovered from the cellphone of one of Mr. Kurz’s closest allies and friends, Thomas Schmid.
subterraneannoun/ˌsʌbtəˈɹeɪniən/
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Someone or something that is subterranean.
- [H]e continues Lean like a Hawke or Heron, notwith ſtanding his devouring Appetite: yet it would ſeem that they convey that ſubſtance elſewhere, for theſe Subterraneans eat but little in their Dwellings; […]
- Whatever elſe the Tauric Cimmerium have been right or wrong called, it is no leſs ſurely a capital of darkneſs, than, near the famous Baths of Baiae, in Campania, the Cimmerium, where the inhabitants were truly Cimmerian; as miners, or other ſubterraneans; who, for good or evil purpoſe, never faced the ſun.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。