The Butterfly and the Turning Stone- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Cool mist touched Theo's face.

He stood by a wide river and wanted to cross. Flat stones made a line across the water. Each stone appeared, then disappeared under the rising current. He watched and saw a rhythm in the flow. A low minute, then a high minute, again and again. He tested the quality of each dry rim with a boot. He waited through one full cycle to test the time.

Theo chose a slow approach and stepped on the first stone. The water stayed low, so he moved to the next. A bright butterfly lifted from a reed beside his foot. The small surprise made him pause longer than planned. When the current rose, waves hit the third stone hard. That push turned the stone and cracked its edge. A generous splash rose over his trousers and rolled back. He could not return; the gap behind grew wider. He timed the next low moment and leaped to shore.

The loose stone kept turning, and muddy water filled the space. Water slapped the loose stone behind him.

涼爽的霧氣碰到西奧的臉。

他站在一條寬河旁，想要過去。扁平石頭排成一線橫跨水面。每顆石頭先露出，再被升高的水流淹沒。他觀察到水流的節奏：一分鐘低，一分鐘高，反覆循環。他用靴子試了每個乾燥邊緣的質地。接著，他守著完整的一個循環來確認時間。

西奧採取緩慢的方式，踏上第一塊石頭。水位保持低，他便移到下一塊。這時，一隻亮眼的蝴蝶從他腳邊的蘆葦間飛起。這個小意外讓他停留比預計久。水位再次升高，浪花猛烈撞向第三塊石頭，那股力量使石頭轉動並裂開邊角。一道寬大的水花越過他的褲管後又退回。他已無法回頭，身後的間隙變得更寬。他抓準下一次低水位，躍向岸邊。

那顆鬆動的石頭持續翻動，渾水灌滿空隙。河水拍擊著那塊鬆動的石頭。