When Rain Broke Through- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

A raccoon squeezed under a loose plank and dropped onto a dusty wooden floor. Rain has drummed on the pavilion roof all morning, and the room, once used as a workspace, smelled of wet paper. A sudden breakthrough in a rotten board above opened wider with a crack, letting a finger of water splash onto stacked leaflets left from a keynote held months ago. The pages slid, bumped a teetering lamp, and the metal shade tipped, sending drops across the floorboards. A faded cushion, which had faded to pale blue, soaked up the first splash and then skidded away as the spreading water pushed it.

The raccoon’s whiskers twitched at the fresh stream. A fierce gust rushed through broken windows, driving more rain through the gap. Water gathered, rolled the cushion toward the doorway, and began to leak outside. The moving pad blocked the plank opening, so the raccoon, paws wide, planted his weight on the cushion and shoved it against the gap. Wood resisted, then shifted; the cushion wedged tight, slowing the flow. Loose pages were lifted by leftover water and drifted harmlessly into a bucket near the wall. The raccoon shook drops from his fur and padded toward the exit. Thin rivulets chased each other along the deck toward the river below.

一隻浣熊從鬆動的木板下擠進來，跳落在佈滿灰塵的木地板上。雨水整個早上都在亭子的屋頂上敲打，這間曾作為工作空間的房間帶著濕紙味。屋頂一塊腐爛木板突然裂開，雨水從縫隙傾瀉而下，潑在早前發表會留下的講稿小冊上。頁紙滑動、撞到搖晃的檯燈，金屬燈罩傾倒，水珠濺向地板。早已褪成淡藍的坐墊吸收第一波水花，隨著擴散的水流一路滑行。

浣熊的鬍鬚因新水流而顫動。破窗邊衝進一陣猛烈的風，把更多雨水推入縫隙。水匯聚後把坐墊捲向門口，並開始滲出外面。坐墊堵住木板缺口，浣熊張開前爪，壓住坐墊並將它塞緊縫隙。木板先是頂住，接著移動一點；坐墊卡牢後，水勢變緩。剩餘的水把散落的頁紙托起，讓它們漂進牆邊的水桶。浣熊抖掉身上的水珠，朝出口走去。細長水線沿著平台追逐彼此，奔向下方的河面。