Sam Beside the Flooded Van- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Sam balanced a shoebox under his arm while jogging toward Riverside School. He has promised to deliver a small model boat that his cousin left at home. Morning horns filled the air; traffic stretched from one light to the next, and drivers tapped steering wheels. He paused briefly at the corner, where a burst water pipe had turned the side street into a shallow flood. Brown water swirled, carrying leaves past his shoes. A blue van used for live reporting stood beside the water, its rear doors open and cables stretched like dark ropes on the asphalt. A bulky journalist backpack rested on the roof, forgotten by its owner.

Sam climbed the bumper, stepped onto the roof, and tested the gap between the van and the dry curb. The backpack slid, changing his balance, yet a cable caught it before it fell. Using the vehicle as an unplanned bridge, he hopped over the swirling water. Just as his soles touched the curb, the driver returned, started the engine, and rolled forward. The sudden movement nudged Sam along the street faster than any bus. The van stopped near the school gate, blocked again by traffic. Sam slid down, nodded thanks without a word, and hurried across the yard. The bell rang, and the shoebox reached the classroom shelf while sunlight settled on the quiet desks.

山姆夾著一只鞋盒，小跑步前往河濱小學。他答應把表弟忘在家的模型船送到教室。早晨的喇叭聲此起彼落，車流在紅綠燈間拉得很長，駕駛輕敲方向盤。轉角處，他短暫停下：爆裂的水管把側街變成淺淺的積水，棕色水流捲著落葉掠過鞋尖。一輛藍色的採訪廂型車停在水邊，後門敞開，纜線像黑繩攤在柏油上。一個沉甸甸的記者背包被遺忘在車頂。

山姆踩上保險桿，再登上車頂，試著量出車身與乾路緣的距離。背包滑動，使他的重心晃了晃，幸好一條纜線勾住背包。把車子當成臨時橋，他跳過翻湧的水面。腳剛落在路緣，駕駛回來發動引擎，車子向前滑行，意外地把山姆送得比公車還快。廂型車又被車流擋在校門前停下，山姆順勢滑下、默默點頭致意，穿過操場。響鈴落下時，鞋盒已放上教室書架，陽光靜靜鋪在安寧的課桌上。