Jade at the Cliff Edge- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Jade balanced her small easel on a flat stone near the cliff. The rock shelf, which overlooked a vast blue sea, felt steady under her boots. She has painted many beaches before, yet today’s view stretched farther than any canvas. A salty wind swept upward, so her protective goggles stayed strapped over her eyes. An old green apron flapped around her knees, and its pockets carried short brushes. Sunlight slipped lower, meaning the bright colors would soon fade. The cliff that guarded the harbor offered no shade. The ticking watch in her bag warned of evening. Jade mixed thick paint and touched the board, bold strokes rising like visible passion.

The next sudden gust struck the easel even harder. The canvas was pushed sideways, and wet paint streaked across the sky part of her scene. Jade jerked backward, arms raised, as drops flicked onto her goggles. The accidental stripe matched the curved waves rolling far below the cliff. A quick grin flashed, then she slid the easel close to the rocky wall. Her apron ties looped around the frame and stopped the shaky movement. Since daylight shrank, she chose short dabs instead of long sweeping lines. The earlier smear turned into white foam, while darker touches formed deep water. Orange light brushed her knuckles; the wind eased, and waves glittered below. She packed the dry painting, and bristles clicked softly inside the toolbox.

潔德把小畫架放在懸崖邊一塊平坦的石頭上。岩石平台俯視著一片遼闊的蔚藍海面，在她的靴底下穩穩支撐。她以前畫過許多海灘，然而今日的視野比任何畫布都延伸得更遠。鹹鹹的海風往上竄，所以護目鏡始終緊貼在她的眼睛上。舊的綠色圍裙在膝邊拍動，口袋裡裝著短畫筆。陽光逐漸下沉，明亮的色彩很快就會黯淡。守著港灣的懸崖沒有半點陰影。袋中的指針滴答作響，提示傍晚臨近。潔德把濃稠顏料混勻，筆觸勇猛跳躍，像把熱情直接塗在木板上。

下一陣突如其來的強風更猛烈地衝擊畫架。畫布被向旁推開，濕漉漉的顏料在天空區域劃出一道痕。潔德猛地向後一縮，雙臂抬起，幾滴顏料濺到護目鏡上。那條意外的線條竟與下方翻捲的浪形相呼應。她咧嘴一笑，把畫架移向岩壁較為平靜的角落。圍裙的長帶繞住畫框，止住搖晃。日光縮短，她改用短促點描代替長線。早先的汙痕變成白色浪沫，較深的筆觸塑出深沉海水。橙色餘暉掠過她的指關節，風勢減弱，波面閃動銀光。她收起已乾的畫作，刷毛在工具箱裡輕輕碰撞。