Leo at the Workbench- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

In the morning, Leo rolled his small workbench beneath the apple tree behind the house. He placed the garden tools that he had cleaned the night before: a short saw, a narrow brush, and a bright tin of paint waited in order. He has worked on his wooden birdhouse for three days, and only the roof still needed color. The first stroke began smoothly, yet a sudden gust lifted dust and leaves across the wet surface. The wet paint had been splashed by the wind. While Leo tried to shield the roof, a plump caterpillar dropped onto the stripe, tracing tiny tracks.

Leo pulled back, tapped the brush against the tin, and adjusted his plan. He carried the birdhouse and the paint into the glass shed, where the wind could not reach. A thin twig served as a bridge there. The wandering caterpillar crossed to a nearby pot and continued its slow journey. Just as the roof regained an even coat, a bright dragonfly slipped through the open window. It hovered above the paint for a silent second. Its wings touched the roof for an instant, marking a delicate web that looked like lace. Leo’s eyebrows lifted, then a wide grin spread while he stepped aside. He set the birdhouse on a high shelf; colors settled, wings shimmered, and the shed fell quiet.

早晨，黎歐把他的小工作桌推到屋後的蘋果樹下。他把前一晚擦乾淨的園藝工具排好：一把短鋸、一支細刷和一罐亮色油漆依序待用。他已經花了三天打造這個木鳥屋，只剩屋頂還沒上色。第一筆刷下時一切順利，但突然一陣風把灰塵和落葉吹到濕漆上。濕漆被風吹得四處濺開。就在他用手臂擋住屋頂時，一條胖毛毛蟲從枝頭掉下，爬過剛刷好的油漆，留下細小痕跡。

黎歐收手、在油漆罐邊敲了敲刷子，並改變計畫。他把鳥屋和油漆搬進玻璃棚裡，風進不來。一根細枝在那裡成了橋。遊走的毛毛蟲走到旁邊的花盆，繼續慢慢前行。就在屋頂又恢復平滑時，一隻亮麗的蜻蜓從開著的窗縫溜入。它在漆面上靜靜停留了一秒。翅膀短暫觸碰屋頂，留下像蕾絲般精緻的網紋。黎歐挑起眉，接著露出大大笑容，並側身讓開。他把鳥屋放到高架上，顏色安定、翅紋閃光，溫靜回到棚內。