The Wheel That Moved Alone- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Late afternoon light slipped through the tall science-room windows, drawing long stripes across desks. The air, which had grown still during the long break, carried a dry chalk smell, and a single drop of water fell from a tap, ticking against metal. Leo had promised to carry the class cage to the sink, because the glass walls needed rinsing. The cage, left since last term, still held a rusty hamster wheel, but the hamster had been taken home. He gripped the door latch; the hinge refused to move, and the closing bell rang far down the hallway. Time pressed while metal resisted, turning a simple job into a tiny quest among desks and stools.

He rocked the latch again. The wheel behind the glass started to spin, although no hand touched it. Leo straightened, eyes wide. A round guinea pig rolled forward, pushing with its nose and driving the wheel like a slow sail. The animal squeezed through the loose corner of the lid and darted under a pile of exercise books. That pile slid, scattering blue sheets across the floor. A dilemma now occupied the room: capture the visitor or finish washing before the custodian arrived. Leo nudged a stool toward the doorway to slow any escape, then lowered an empty lunch box beside the books. He has kept a few carrot strips inside since lunch, and their scent drifted outward. The guinea pig climbed in, rustling plastic softly. With the animal contained, the hinge accepted a final pull, and clear water soon rushed over the cage. The stool stayed by the door, the wheel resting motionless.

傍晚的陽光穿過科學教室高大的窗戶，拉出一道道長長的光帶。空氣在長假後變得靜止，帶著乾燥粉筆的氣味；水龍頭上有一滴水落下，敲在金屬上發出滴答聲。里奧答應把班上的籠子搬到水槽，因為玻璃壁需要沖洗。那只籠子自上學期留下以來依舊放著一個生鏽的倉鼠轉輪，但倉鼠已被帶回家。他握住門扣；鉸鏈卻紋絲不動，而下課鈴在走廊遠處回響。時間催促、金屬阻擋，一件簡單的工作被拖成了桌椅間的小小探尋。

他再次晃動門扣。玻璃後的轉輪開始旋轉，卻沒有任何手碰它。里奧身子一挺，雙眼睜大。一隻圓滾滾的天竺鼠從轉輪後滾出，用鼻子推動軸心，像慢帆般轉著輪子。牠從蓋子的鬆角擠出，衝進一疊練習簿下，那疊紙本滑動，藍色紙張散落滿地。此刻房間裡出現兩難：是先抓住訪客，還是在管理員到來前完成清洗。里奧把一張凳子推向門口減慢牠的去路，再把一個空便當盒放到書堆旁。他午餐後留下幾條紅蘿蔔碎屑，香味飄了出去。天竺鼠鑽進盒中，塑膠輕輕沙沙作響。動物被安置後，鉸鏈終於鬆開，清水隨即沖過籠子。凳子仍靠在門邊，轉輪再次靜止。