Mila Under the Old Bandstand- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Late afternoon light spilled across Rosewood Square, where a bronze lion guarded a cracked fountain. The statue carried a heroic pose, yet its paws had smoothed after many winters. Its nose has been polished by countless hands. Mila, holding a small sketchbook, had planned to capture those softened lines before sunset. Pigeons roamed between benches, brushing fallen petals that hinted at early spring. Near the square entrance, the mingled smell of roasted nuts and wet stone drifted through still air. She sat near the fountain, but bright reflections from the wet stone flashed in her eyes. A frisbee-sized plastic disk splashed into the water, sending drops across her page. Laughter traveled past; children chased the runaway toy, leaving ripples that kept shaking the mirror-like surface.

Fresh water spots now blurred her careful pencil lines. She closed the book and stepped under the bandstand, whose wooden rails had faded to pale gray. The roof blocked the glare, yet a quick gust lifted loose papers and spun them around her ankles. She grabbed a heavy coin from her pocket. The smooth metal disk, carried for luck, pinned the top sheet. A small figure in a lion costume burst from behind a pillar, chasing the same swirling pages. The child halted, surprised by the improvised weight, and giggled at the magical shield holding the drawing still. Wind eased, pages rested, and the lion-suited helper padded away toward the carousel. Mila opened her sketchbook again; pencil met the paper, and quiet lines grew across the battered fountain.

午後的陽光傾灑在玫瑰木廣場，一座青銅獅子守著裂痕斑斑的噴泉。雕像姿態勇武，但爪子經過多年已磨得圓滑。許多雙手早已把牠的鼻尖擦得光亮。米拉拿著小畫本，打算在日落前畫下這些柔和的線條。鴿子在長椅間穿梭，撥動早春才落的花瓣。靠近廣場入口，烤堅果與濕石頭的味道混在靜止的空氣中。她坐到噴泉旁，可濕石反射的亮光刺進眼睛。一個像飛盤大小的塑膠圓盤落入水面，水花濺到紙上。笑聲掠過；孩子們追著逃跑的玩具，水面留下不斷搖晃的波紋。

新出現的水點模糊了她細心的鉛筆線。她闔上畫本，走到已褪成灰白的舊樂台下。屋頂擋住了刺眼的反光，卻有一陣疾風捲起散紙，在腳踝周圍旋轉。她從口袋掏出一枚沈甸甸的硬幣。那枚她一直帶在身邊的光滑金屬圓盤把頂頁壓住。一個穿獅子裝的小身影從柱子後衝出，追著那些旋舞的紙張。臨時的「盾牌」讓孩子停下腳步，他咯咯笑著看圖紙被穩穩按住。風力漸緩，紙張安靜落定，這位獅子助手踏著輕步走向旋轉木馬。米拉再次翻開畫本，鉛筆貼上紙面，靜靜描出破舊噴泉的輪廓。