When Apples Broke Loose- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Kane lowered a crate of empty glass jars onto the damp flagstones. Muscle and wood echoed across the narrow cellar walls. A metal wheelbarrow packed with autumn apples stood halfway up the sloping passage. Its thin tyres trembled each time a jar touched the floor. Cool air brushed his arms and carried the sweet smell of bruised fruit. A single bulb hummed overhead, light glinting off glass and wet stone. Several narrow shelves lined the left wall, each giving different options for storage that no longer felt orderly. Kane tried to keep in mind the low ceiling, so he remained crouched. He moved carefully and lifted the first jar toward an upper plank. Near that plank a tiny carved fox, forgotten last year, balanced beside the edge. After the long winter, the stiff wheelbarrow wheels tended to take it slow once they rolled.

He slid the jar into place, but the plank shifted and tipped the walnut fox forward. The figure fell, struck a lower bottle, and sent the bottle rolling across the shelf. Glass tapped wood, then left the edge and dropped onto the ramp below. The hard impact jolted the heavy wheelbarrow sharply. Momentum pulled it downhill; the chock was lifted free. Apples tumbled, one bounced back toward the shelves and clipped Kane’s boot before spinning across the floor. He braced his shoulder against the metal frame to stop the slide. It still dragged him over the uneven stones. A shallow groove worn into the ramp guided every wheel toward the floor. Changing approach, he turned sideways and pushed from the wall. Friction between his boots and grit slowed the run. At last the heavy frame lurched to a halt. Kane wedged a spare roof tile under the front tyre. The apples rattled inside, refusing to stay still.

凱恩把一箱空玻璃罐放到潮濕的石板上，木頭和肌肉的碰撞在狹窄的地窖牆面間迴響。半坡的通道上，一輛裝滿秋季蘋果的金屬手推車靜置著；每當罐子落地，它纖細的輪胎便微微顫動。涼爽的空氣拂過他的手臂，帶來被壓傷水果的甜味。頭上一盞單燈嗡嗡作響，光線在玻璃與濕石間閃爍。左側牆邊排著數道窄架，提供已經變得有些凌亂的各式收納選項。凱恩記著低矮的天花板，因此始終半蹲行動。他小心移動，把第一只罐子抬向上層木板。那塊板旁，一隻去年遺忘的胡桃木雕小狐狸立在邊緣。經過漫長冬季，手推車僵硬的輪子一旦轉動，總是慢慢行進。

他把罐子推入位置，不料木板滑動，將那隻小狐狸翻倒。雕像墜落，擊中下一層的瓶子，瓶子又滾過架面。玻璃敲擊木頭後滑出邊緣，掉到下面的斜坡。劇烈衝擊猛地震動沉重的手推車。慣性把它往下拖，木楔也被抬離。蘋果翻騰，其中一顆反彈回架邊，擦到凱恩的靴子後在地上旋轉。他用肩膀抵住金屬框想阻住滑行，但車身仍拖著他滑過不平的石面。坡道上一條磨出的淺槽把每個車輪都引向地面。他改變方式，側身靠牆推送。靴底與砂礫間的摩擦減慢了速度。終於，沉重的車架猛然停住。凱恩把一片備用屋瓦塞進前輪下方，車裡的蘋果依舊咯咯擺動。