Ben by the River Bank- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Ben, a second-year student, balanced a small frying pan on a flat stone beside the slow river. Weekend air carried faint moss smell, and sunlight flickered between willow leaves. He had collected dry wood during the morning walk; however, gusts rolled along the water and pushed his careful pile apart. Two matches had been wasted by the sudden wind, and the third has been blown cold as well. The picnic group behind him laughed around sandwiches, so help remained unlikely. After a moment he crouched, tracing lines in the sand, making a plan that might keep the flame steady. Meanwhile, ripples slapped gently against his boots.

He moved the stone ring closer, then built a lower nest of twigs that had been sheltered under a log. The wind still nipped, yet the shorter stack offered less surface to disturb. As he bent forward, a thin spark rose from the flint at the pan handle—surprise—someone earlier had tucked a tiny lighter inside the hollow grip. Initiative from an unknown camper lay hidden in plain sight. One click woke a flame; the nest caught; warm smoke curled. Ben slid the frying pan above the ember bed, and pancake batter spread with a quiet hiss. Steam lifted against the green shore, and the first golden circle rested safely in the pan.

大二生 Ben 把一只小平底鍋穩穩地放在緩慢河流旁的平石上。週末的空氣帶著淡淡的青苔氣味，陽光在柳葉間閃動。他早晨散步時已經撿了乾柴，然而水面吹來的陣風把他排好的木料吹散。兩根火柴早被突然的風浪費，第三根也跟著熄滅。後方的野餐團圍著三明治笑鬧，顯然無人會來幫忙。他蹲下身，在沙上畫出幾條線，心裡暗自擬定計畫，好讓火焰穩定。同時，水波輕拍他的靴子。

他把石圈推近些，改用躲在倒木下的細枝搭成較矮的柴窩。風仍然掠過，但矮堆受影響較小。他向前探身時，鍋柄的打火石冒出細微火花——意外——先前有人把一只小打火機藏在中空握把裡。來自那位不知名露營者的巧思就這樣隱藏在眼前。輕按一下，火焰竄起，柴窩點燃，溫暖的煙霧盤旋。Ben 把平底鍋滑到餘燼上，鬆餅麵糊發出輕嘶聲鋪開。蒸氣在綠色河岸前升起，第一片金黃薄餅安穩地躺在鍋中。