Kai Before the Bell- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Kai balances a shoebox on one palm while thunder rumbles outside the apartment. Inside the box now rests a palm-sized robot. Its tiny camera sends images to an algorithm that sorts colors before each turn. A folded poster, printed on last night’s bright template, lies beside it, still smelling of fresh ink. Thin marks on the robot’s shell reveal how weeks of dedication have shaped the metal. His hypothesis—that simple sensors can pick ripe fruit—waits for its first public test this morning.

Rain forces him to hold the box under his jacket during the walk to school. Water still splashes on the lid and makes the cardboard slick. At the main door, a sign swings on loose hinges. The elevator is shut, and a stream of classmates blocks the narrow stairs. The situation threatens every shaky step; one jostle might drop the robot. Kai pauses, then slips into the empty music room where a back staircase stays dry. That detour has cost minutes, but the classroom clock has not struck the bell yet. He sets the box on a desk just as overhead lights flicker and fade. Several projects stay dark without power, however his robot runs on its own batteries. A quiet mechanical whir rises inside the box. The wheels trace neat arcs around empty plugs, and reflected moisture glitters on the desk surface.

凱單手托著一個鞋盒，公寓外的雷聲隆隆作響。盒子裡靜放著一台掌心大小的機器人。微型攝影機把影像傳給演算法，機器人據此在每次轉彎前分辨顏色。昨晚才印好的海報折疊著，使用鮮艷的範本設計，散發著新墨水的味道。機器人外殼上細細的刮痕說明了數週投入的專注，金屬因此呈現不同光澤。他的假設─簡易感測器能挑出成熟水果─正等待今天早上首次公開驗證。

雨勢逼得他把盒子塞進外套下走向學校，但水珠仍打在盒蓋上，使紙板變得濕滑。來到大門，一塊鬆動的告示牌搖晃不止。電梯停用，同學的長隊堵住窄窄的樓梯。這樣的情況讓每一步都晃動不安，一個碰撞就可能摔壞機器人。凱停了一下，轉進空蕩的音樂教室，後方樓梯保持乾爽。這段繞路耗掉了幾分鐘，所幸教室時鐘還沒敲響上課鈴。他把盒子放到桌上，頭頂的燈正好閃爍後熄滅。好幾件作品因停電而黯淡，他的機器人卻靠自備電池運轉。盒內傳出輕微機械嗡聲，輪子繞著空插座畫出整齊弧線，桌面上的水光隨之閃動。