Marcus on the Wobbly Ladder- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Marcus knelt beside the community garden on a mild autumn afternoon. He has repaired birdhouses on the greenhouse roof before, so hanging a new harvest sign looked simple. He raised a light ladder, pressing its feet into the dark soil, then started to ascend. Halfway up, the ladder dipped: soft ground shifted, and momentum vanished. The rungs tilted under his boots, and he jumped down quickly before anything cracked. Wind rolled loose leaves along the path, and a low branch bumped the ladder, adding a second challenge.

He dragged the ladder aside and kicked at the leaves, searching for firmer support. Under the orange layer he uncovered an old flagstone that had lain hidden since spring. Alongside it, something round and bright appeared: a medal from last year's school cross-country victory, lost during summer pruning. The unexpected find curled his mouth into a quick smile, but the stone mattered more right now. He slid the flagstone onto the soil, pressed each corner with his heel, and set the ladder back on top. This time the frame stayed steady; wind still moved, yet his steps kept their rhythm. A minute later, the wooden sign rested on the greenhouse ridge, and Marcus stood beside it, gazing across the quiet plots.

在一個溫和的秋日下午，馬庫斯跪在社區花園旁。他以前已經多次修理溫室屋頂上的鳥屋，所以他認為掛上新的收穫節木牌很簡單。他抬起輕便梯子，把梯腳壓進黑色的土壤，然後開始往上爬。爬到一半時，梯子下沉，鬆軟的地面移動，動力消失。梯級在靴子下傾斜，他迅速跳下以免梯子斷裂。風把鬆散的落葉捲過小徑，一根低矮的樹枝撞到梯子，形成第二個阻礙。

他把梯子拖到一旁，踢開落葉，尋找更結實的支撐。橘色落葉下，他發現一塊自春天以來就隱藏的舊石板。旁邊有個圓亮物閃現：那是去年學校越野賽的獎牌，夏季修剪時丟失的意外戰利品。這個驚喜讓他的嘴角浮現短暫笑意，不過眼前石板更重要。他把石板推到土上，用腳跟壓實四角，再把梯子放回頂部。這次梯架保持穩定；風仍在吹，但他的步伐有了節奏。一分鐘後，木牌靜靜躺在溫室脊上，馬庫斯站在旁邊，望向寧靜的菜畦。