The work of preparing soil so crops can grow in it — breaking it up, turning it over, ploughing and harrowing before planting. It is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word.

The work of preparing soil so crops can grow in it整地就是把土準備好讓作物可以生長 — breaking it up把土打碎, turning it over翻土, ploughing and harrowing before planting在種植之前先犁田、耙地。It is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word這是一個正式、有點老派的字。

A farmer talking to a neighbour says 'ploughing' or just 'working the land'; 'tillage' is the word in a textbook, a government report, an agriculture course, or the Bible.

A farmer talking to a neighbour says 'ploughing' or just 'working the land'農夫跟鄰居講話會說'ploughing'或乾脆說'working the land'； 'tillage' is the word in a textbook, a government report, an agriculture course, or the Bible而'tillage'則是出現在教科書、政府報告、農業課程，或聖經裡的字。

You will also meet it meaning the land itself when it is under crops rather than grass — 'the farm has 40 hectares of tillage'.

You will also meet it meaning the land itself when it is under crops rather than grass你也會看到它指土地本身，也就是種著作物而不是長草的那種地 — 'the farm has 40 hectares of tillage'像'the farm has 40 hectares of tillage'（這座農場有40公頃的耕地）。

Because of the modern climate conversation, one phrase has pushed the word back into ordinary news: 'no-till' or 'zero tillage' farming, where you plant without ploughing, so that the soil holds together and keeps its carbon. If you ever read about regenerative agriculture, 'tillage' is the word being argued about — and there the tone flips, because in that conversation tillage is the thing you are trying to do less of.

Because of the modern climate conversation因為現代關於氣候的討論, one phrase has pushed the word back into ordinary news有一個說法把這個字重新帶回一般新聞裡： 'no-till' or 'zero tillage' farming就是'no-till'或'zero tillage'（免耕）農法, where you plant without ploughing也就是不犁田直接種植, so that the soil holds together and keeps its carbon這樣土壤才能保持完整、留住碳。If you ever read about regenerative agriculture如果你讀到關於regenerative agriculture（再生農業）的文章, 'tillage' is the word being argued about'tillage'就是大家在爭論的那個字 — and there the tone flips而且這時候語氣整個翻轉, because in that conversation tillage is the thing you are trying to do less of因為在那個討論脈絡裡，tillage是大家想要盡量減少的東西。