Penguin Beside the Runway- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Our class has waited for this trip since spring. Today the bus stops outside a small coastal airport that shares land with a zoo. A shiny silver aeroplane was parked near the entrance for visitors. The teacher who organised everything checks her watch and counts heads. Seagulls land on the railings, and their calls mix with the distant roar of engines. We walk along a wooden path that smells of salt and popcorn. Suddenly a short musical note floats over the crowd, like someone striking a tiny bell. Heads tilt toward the sound, and footsteps speed up toward the sound that echoes again.

At the penguin pool, a caretaker has dropped a bright xylophone on a low platform. One curious penguin waddles forward, taps the metal keys with its beak, and a sharp clang answers. A duck from the nearby pond sticks its neck through the fence. It offers a surprised quack in reply. Laughter bursts from every student. The scene grows even stranger when the airport loudspeaker announces a scheduled test flight. The aeroplane lifts beyond the treetops, and its rumble shakes the platform. The penguin slides across, hitting several keys in order. The accidental melody rises over water, and cameras lift while the bird keeps tapping.

我們班從春天開始就一直期待這次的旅行。今天，巴士停在一座靠海的機場外，機場和動物園共用同一片土地。入口旁停著一架閃亮的銀色飛機。安排一切的老師看了看手錶，並清點人數。海鷗落在欄杆上，它們的鳴叫聲和遠方的引擎轟鳴混在一起。我們沿著有木頭味的步道前進，空中飄著鹽味和爆米花香。突然，一個短促的樂音越過人群，好像有人敲響小鈴鐺。大家的頭轉向聲音，腳步也加快，追向再次迴盪的聲響。

在企鵝池邊，一名工作人員不小心把一個亮晶晶的木琴掉在低平台上。一隻好奇的企鵝搖擺走近，用嘴喙敲了幾下金屬琴鍵，清脆的聲響隨即回應。附近池塘裡的一隻鴨子把脖子伸過圍欄，也用一聲「呱」回答。每位學生都大笑起來。當機場廣播宣佈即將進行試飛時，場面變得更奇妙。飛機升過樹梢，轟鳴震動平台，企鵝滑過琴鍵，一路敲出一串音符。那意外的旋律在水面上升起，鏡頭跟著舉起，而那隻鳥繼續敲擊。