Cora on the Garden Path- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Cora balanced six rainbow glasses on a narrow tray. Her plan was simple. She would carry them from the kitchen to the garden table that waited beneath a maple tree. Beyond it, her family sorted bowls of fruit. Each glass showed a unique swirl of color, and sunlight made the shapes dance. The set has been admired by visitors all summer. The back door swung open. Outside, a shallow crack left by a minor earthquake crossed the paving stones. It stretched like a thin river. Cora stepped out, but her clumsy foot caught the crack. The tray tilted, and the glasses rattled. At that moment, Barkley, the neighbor’s lively spaniel, burst from the hedge and sprinted along the path.

Startled, Cora froze while the dog’s tail swept against her knee. The tower wobbled again, and one glass slid toward the edge. She has practiced balancing at school fairs, yet the double challenge now felt risky. A red wagon, forgotten beside the rosemary, offered another option. She knelt, placed the tray inside, and gripped its wooden handle. Wheels bumped over the uneven stones, but the load stayed level. Barkley trotted ahead, ears flapping, and reached the picnic table first. When the wagon rolled to a stop, every glass remained upright. Cora lifted the tray, set it on the table, and the rainbow reflections settled over the white cloth.

柯拉雙手端著一個窄托盤，上面疊著六個彩虹玻璃杯。她的打算很簡單。她要把托盤從廚房搬到楓樹下的花園桌旁。桌子那頭，她的家人正把水果放進碗裡。每只杯子都有獨特的色彩漩渦，陽光讓圖案在杯壁上舞動。這些杯子整個夏天都受到來訪者讚賞。後門推開。門外，一條去春小地震留下的細裂縫穿過鋪石，像條窄河延伸。柯拉踏出去，笨拙的腳尖卻勾到裂縫。托盤傾斜，杯子叮噹作響。此時，鄰居活潑的西班牙獵犬巴克利從樹籬衝出，在小徑上疾跑。

柯拉一驚僵住，狗尾巴掃過她的膝蓋。杯塔再次搖晃，一只杯子滑向邊緣。她雖在學校園遊會練過平衡，但這兩重干擾仍讓情況險峻。迷迭香旁邊一輛被遺忘的小紅推車提供了新方法。她跪下，把托盤放進去，雙手握住木把手。輪子顛過不平的石板，杯子卻保持平穩。巴克利跑在前頭，耳朵亂跳，先抵達桌邊。推車停下時，所有杯子仍直立。柯拉把托盤提起，放到桌面上，彩色倒影安靜地落在白布上。