The Tray Nearly Fell- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Liam balanced a tray of lemonade cups outside the station café. He aimed to reach his aunt's juice cart before the next bell rang. The covered hall smelled of toasted bread, and distant brakes squeaked against metal. A station attendant, who had been folding yellow tickets, stepped aside to clear a narrow gap. Courage fluttered somewhere beneath Liam's collar, and his knuckles whitened around the wooden tray. He has practiced the short walk many times, yet the crowd changed every morning. Today a ginger cat, which usually napped behind a heater, stretched across the tiles exactly in his path. Two glasses were already shaking on the edge. A witness near the newspaper rack raised both eyebrows and slid one foot backward.

Liam shortened his steps, but the cat refused to move. The business rush pressed from behind, and someone’s suitcase brushed his elbow. Liquid swirled, and one lemon slice tapped its rim. He tilted the tray toward his chest, lowering its center. The sudden angle created space for the cat, which padded away, tail twitching once. A plastic straw dropped onto the tiles, yet nothing spilled. The witness exhaled sharply, hands still covering a silk tie. At the cart, whose counter was built from genuine oak, Liam slid the tray onto polished rails. Two cups were handed to waiting passengers; the remaining drinks stayed upright. The cat returned to the heater, paws folding together, while footsteps scattered toward departing coaches.

利亞姆在車站咖啡館外端著一盤檸檬水杯子。他想在下一聲鐘響前把杯子送到姑姑的果汁攤。長廊裡聞得到烤麵包味，遠處煞車聲和金屬摩擦。先前一直在折黃票的站務員側身讓出窄縫。利亞姆領口下像有股勇氣亂跳，他握著木盤的手指泛白。他已經練習這段短短的路好多次，但人潮每天都不同。今天，平常窩在暖器後的小橘貓，正好在他腳下的磁磚上伸懶腰。兩個杯子已經在邊緣搖晃。報紙架旁的一位目擊者挑起眉，腳步往後滑。

利亞姆放慢步伐，貓卻沒有讓開。後方的上班人潮擠過來，有人的行李箱擦到他的手肘。液體旋轉，一片檸檬拍了拍杯緣。他把托盤靠向胸口，降低重心。這個角度讓出空間，小貓晃著尾巴走開。塑膠吸管掉在地上，但飲料沒灑。那位目擊者重重吐氣，雙手還護著絲質領帶。到了攤位，櫃檯是用真正的橡木打造，利亞姆把托盤滑上拋光的導軌。兩杯飲料遞給等候的乘客，其餘杯子保持直立。小貓又回到暖器旁，把爪子收好，腳步聲朝開走的列車散開。