The Coin Under the Fence- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Leila tightened the straps of a small canvas bag. She and her cousin Marco had already walked since sunrise, their weekend hike heading toward an orchard that waited beyond low hills. The gravel under their boots clicked, and dry grass brushed their ankles. A glossy black beetle climbed onto a white pebble, its shell shining like an ambassador from another world. The path, which curved between tall oaks, ended at a shallow stream. Several planks had been placed across the water, but one was missing. Marco bent his knees, measured the gap, and tossed a fallen branch over the space. Water splashed against stone while both stepped across.

Beyond the stream the ground softened. Mud clung to their shoes, showing the rough friendship that travel fixes on every pair. Near a leaning fence a dull glimmer caught Marco’s eye. He knelt and pulled up a flat copper coin once called a talent; half its edge still held wet soil. While he rinsed it, the branch he had used earlier drifted away, leaving no route back. A new obstacle rose at the fence: a broken rail blocked the shortcut into the orchard. Leila slid her bag off, pushed it through the gap below the rail, and then rolled under after it. Marco passed the coin through, followed, and both landed on sweet grass just as ripe peaches brushed their shoulders. Light settled on the leaves, and juice ran down their chins.

莉拉拉緊帆布包的背帶。她和表哥馬可從日出後就一直前進，他們的週末健行朝著低丘後方的果園前進。碎石在靴底發出喀喀聲，乾草掃過腳踝。一隻亮黑色的甲蟲爬上白色小石頭，殼面閃光，像從另一個世界來的使者。小徑在高橡樹間轉彎後，抵達一條淺溪。有人曾把幾塊木板鋪在水面，但少了一塊。馬可彎膝量出距離，將一根落枝扔到缺口上。水花濺到石頭上，他們踏枝而過。

過了溪，地面變得鬆軟。泥巴黏住鞋底，像替每雙鞋刻下同行的粗糙情誼。傾斜的圍欄旁，一抹暗光吸引馬可目光。他跪下，撥出一枚半埋濕土的扁平銅幣，古人稱它為「塔冷特」。他沖洗銅幣時，先前用的落枝被水沖走，返回的路不見了。圍欄又冒出新阻礙：一根斷樑封住通往果園的捷徑。莉拉卸下背包，從樑下的縫隙推了過去，接著自己也翻滾穿過。馬可遞進銅幣，跟著鑽進，兩人落在柔軟青草上，熟透的桃子剛好擦過肩頭。光線停在葉面，汁液沿著他們的下巴滑落。