Label in the Evening Yard- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

In the late afternoon, Mila stepped into the yard behind her building. Warm air carried the smell of cut grass; a sparrow chirped above the tool shed. A visiting gardener named Jorge knelt beside several seedlings that had been planted earlier in the day. One plastic label lay under his knee, but a pot of marigolds next to him stood unmarked. He had promised the building manager a neat row, yet one seedling’s name remained unknown. Mila wanted to help, and Leo, who often sketched plants, arrived carrying colored twine. Wind flicked dried leaves around their ankles, hiding small stakes. They searched, bending between pots, while a striped cat watched from the wall, its tail swinging slowly. The cat has visited this corner all week, according to Jorge.

A stronger gust pushed a paper tag across the stones. The cat sprang, landing on it, then darted around the rain barrel. The missing label clung to its fur like a tiny flag. Mila pointed; Leo laughed. They split, moving on different sides of the barrel to block the quick steps. Their first reach failed as the animal slipped between buckets. Moments later the cat leapt onto a low bench, paused, and began licking its paw. Leo approached with measured pace and touched the paper softly. The cat stayed still, and the label slid free. He set it beside the marigold pot, and Jorge pressed it into the soil. Evening light settled over the tidy row of plants.

傍晚時分，Mila 走進她住處後方的院子。溫暖的空氣帶著割草的氣味；一隻麻雀在工具棚上方啾啾叫。來訪的園丁 Jorge 跪在幾株早些時候已經栽好的幼苗旁。一張塑膠標籤壓在他膝下，但旁邊的一盆萬壽菊卻沒有標記。他曾向大樓管理員說過要把苗排得整齊，然而其中一株的名字仍然不明。Mila 想幫忙，常常畫植物的 Leo 帶著彩色麻線抵達。風把乾葉吹到他們腳踝四周，遮住了小木樁。他們彎著腰在花盆間尋找，一隻虎斑貓在牆上觀察，尾巴慢慢擺動。據 Jorge 說，那隻貓整週都到這角落報到。

一陣更強的風把紙質吊牌推過石板。貓躍起落在吊牌上，接著繞著雨桶奔跑。遺失的標籤像小旗子般黏在牠的毛上。Mila 指了指，Leo 笑了。他們分開，從雨桶兩側靠近，想用身體擋住貓快速的步伐。第一次伸手撲空，動物從水桶間鑽過。不久後，貓跳上一張矮長凳，停住，開始舔爪。Leo 以穩定步伐靠近，輕輕捏住那張紙。貓沒有動，標籤順勢脫落。他把它放到萬壽菊盆旁，Jorge 把標籤插進土裡。傍晚的光停在整齊的一排植物上。