What the Wind Took- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Callie has visited the market square many times, yet today she arrived with a clear plan. She wanted a quiet seat beside the stone fountain, taste a midday snack, and sketch the lively pigeons. A traveling chef stirred a shining pot under a blue umbrella. Steam rolled upward from a light vegetable broth, carrying the mild smell of carrots and pepper. Grey whiskers edged the friendly chef’s smile today. He ladled the liquid into a paper cup and handed it over. The wooden benches had been painted green earlier in spring. Warm midday sunlight lay across the square, and water droplets tapped stone with a slow, steady rhythm. Callie carefully wrapped both hands round the warm cup. She walked toward a dry spot on a bench that faced the fountain.

When she sat, two forces challenged her break. A playful breeze lifted spray from the fountain, wetting the bench plank. Meanwhile, the hot broth cooled faster than she expected. The wood darkened under the droplets, so she shifted, yet her drawing pad slipped. At that moment a stronger gust whisked away the napkin resting on her knee. The cloth fluttered across the water and landed against the marble rim. Callie leaned forward, but a cat darted first, paws landing near the cloth and scattering pigeons. Its twitching whiskers almost brushed the soup as the cup rocked in her grip. She steadied the rim with her sleeve, rose, and relocated to a low stone wall beyond the spray. Soft steam rose calmly again between her chilled fingers.

卡莉已經去過市集廣場很多次，但今天她帶著明確計畫抵達。她想坐在石造噴泉旁的安靜座位上，一邊品嚐午間小吃，一邊畫下活潑的鴿子。攤位上的旅行主廚在藍色傘下攪動閃亮鍋子。淡淡蔬菜高湯的蒸氣向上翻滾，帶著胡蘿蔔與胡椒的微香。主廚那張友善笑容的邊緣長著灰色鬍鬚。他把湯舀進紙杯後遞給她。木長椅在春天早些時候剛漆成綠色。正午暖陽覆在廣場，水珠有節奏地敲打石面。卡莉小心地用雙手捧著溫熱紙杯，走向面對噴泉、尚未潮濕的椅子。

她剛坐下，兩個力量便打亂她的休憩。淘氣的微風帶起噴泉水霧，弄溼椅面；同時，熱湯的溫度下降得比她預期更快。木板因水滴變暗，她身體一挪，畫簿卻滑落。就在此時，更強一陣風捲走膝上的餐巾。那薄布在水面翻飛，最後貼在大理石邊。卡莉向前探身，一隻貓卻搶先撲到布旁，爪子驚起鴿群。牠抽動的鬍鬚幾乎碰到湯面，紙杯在她手中晃動。她用衣袖穩住杯緣，起身走到水霧之外的矮石牆。柔和蒸氣再度靜靜升起，繚繞在她微涼的指間。