Mia Before the Greenhouse Door- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Mia cradled a tray of tomato seedlings as the hallway bell rang at eleven. The cultivation of the tiny plants has taken three weeks, and each stem looked resilient under the clear plastic lid. She planned to reach the rooftop greenhouse before the next class. However, the elevator was out of service, and a river of students filled the stairwell which curved like a tube. Wind from an open window pressed against the tray, and damp steps shone under fluorescent light. Her jacket, folded in her bag as a casual fallback, slid onto the floor when she searched for balance. Soil trembled near the rim, and one leaf brushed her wrist.

Patience hung in the noisy air while Mia waited beside a water fountain. When the crowd thinned, she tucked the fallen jacket around the tray, creating a loose nest. The wind still pushed, yet the cloth stopped the soil from dancing away. She has already missed half of recess, so she switched routes and stepped through the quieter laundry room that links to the roof. A radio inside hummed a hopeful tune, echoing against metal pipes. At the final doorway, a sudden gust lifted the lid, and a seedling flipped, roots bare. Mia caught it mid-spin, pressed it gently back, and closed the greenhouse door behind her.

米亞在十一點響起的走廊鈴聲中，捧著一盤番茄苗。這些小苗的培育已經花了三週，每株莖在透明塑膠蓋下顯得挺立。她打算在下節課前抵達屋頂溫室。但電梯停用了，學生如河水般擠滿彎曲的樓梯。一扇敞開的窗戶吹進風，拍打托盤，濕滑的階梯在螢光燈下發亮。當她為了保持平衡而探身時，原本收在袋中的外套──她臨時的備案──滑落到地面。土壤在邊緣顫動，一片葉子拂過她的手腕。

嘈雜空氣中瀰漫著等待的靜勁，米亞在飲水機旁停留。人潮漸散後，她把掉落的外套包住托盤，做成鬆鬆的窩。風仍推擠，但布料阻住了飛舞的土粒。她已錯過半節下課時間，於是改走較安靜的洗衣房通道，該通道連接屋頂。內部收音機正哼著帶來盼望的旋律，聲音在金屬管間回響。在最後一扇門口，突來的陣風掀起蓋子，一株幼苗翻出，根裸露。米亞在半空接住它，輕輕放回，然後關上身後的溫室門。