地面进攻 Ground offensive

虽然国际社会各方都强烈呼吁以军停火，联合国也定于本月3日晚就加沙局势举行紧急磋商，但这些都难挡以军打击哈马斯的炮火。以色列国防军地面部队已于3日晚从加沙地带北部边境进入加沙，这也意味着去年12月27日开始的以军"铸铅"军事行动进入了第二阶段。

Israeli tanks and troops launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip Saturday night with officials saying they expected a lengthy fight with Hamas militants in the territory.

以色列坦克部队于本周六晚间对加沙地带展开地面进攻，以官方称他们将在此与哈马斯武装分子长期作战。

Ground offensive就是我们在新闻中常听到的"地面进攻"，也写作ground attack。地面进攻常在大规模空袭（airborne attack）后发动，同时也预示着冲突升级。如：That opened the way for the Allied Troops to launch the ground offensive.（这就为多国部队展开地面进攻扫清了障碍）。

Offensive在这里表示"进攻的、采取攻势的"。Ground offensive常由offensive troops（进攻部队）发动，他们使用的是offensive weapons（进攻性武器）。如果是a peace offensive（和平攻势）或者a trade offensive（贸易攻势），就不需要动用坦克大炮了。

此外，offensive还常用于表示"冒犯的、无礼的"。来看看下面这段话了解一下它的用法吧。

Sylvia这个元旦假期过得可不愉快，出去旅游住的宾馆外是an offensive sight（令人生厌的景色），景区的小溪被污染了，having an offensive odor（发出一股难闻的气味），而且导游也是offensive in manner（态度无礼）。他们搭乘的车因为有offensive cargo（违禁货物）被扣留了。不过在下棋比赛时，她不仅下到了an offensive move（先手棋），还赢了一位高手，这可让她乐坏了。

He broke a bone in his leg.
他摔断了一根腿骨。

break a bone: 骨折，
例句：He've broken a bone in my arm. 我的臂部骨折了。

Knee-deep wading is bliss for camels in Chad's Arche?, a canyon whose trapped waters hold a zoological surprise. Fertilized by beasts' droppings, algae are eaten by fish that are preyed upon by an isolated group of crocodiles.

Present for Mother

There was a woman who had three sons. When they had grown up the sons left home went out on their own and prospered years later. Getting back together they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother.
The first said "I will build a big house for our mother."
The second said "I will send her a Mercedes with a driver."
The third said "Remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible And you know she can't see very well. I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot recites it."
Soon thereafter mom sent out her letters of thanks.
"Milton" she wrote to one son "the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room but I have to clean the whole house."
"Gerald" she wrote to another "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude"
"Dearest Donald" she wrote to her third son "you have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious."

送给妈妈的礼物(意想不到)

　　一个女人有3个儿子。长大成人后，儿子们纷纷出外谋生，数年后功成名就。回到家乡，他们聚在一起，商量送什么礼物给年迈的母亲。
　　 第一个说："我要给母亲建一所大房子。"
　　 第二个说："我要把一辆梅塞德斯连同司机一起送给母亲。"
　　 第三个说："你们还记得吧？妈妈特别喜欢读《圣经》。你们也知道，她的眼现在有点花了。我要送她一只非同寻常的鹦鹉，这只鹦鹉可以将整部《圣经》背诵下来，神父们花了12年的时间才教会它。妈妈只需要说出篇章、段落，这只鹦鹉就能把它背出来。"
　　 之后不久，母亲给儿子们分别回信表示感谢。
　　 "米尔顿，"她在信中给一个儿子写道，"你为我建的房子实在有点太大了，我只住一个房间，却需要打扫整所房子。"
　　 "杰罗德，"她给另一个儿子写道，"我太老了，不能再出去旅游了。大部分时间我都待在家里，那辆梅塞德斯很少用。而且，那个司机也太粗鲁了！"
　　 "我最亲爱的唐纳德，"在给第三个儿子的信中她写道，"你最知道妈妈需要什么，那只小鸡非常好吃。"