After the Lantern Rolled- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Foam hissed under the wooden pier, then a damp plank creaked above it. Cool mist touched his cheeks, and a faint tang of seaweed mixed with lantern oil. Sam set his small telescope on the planked walkway near the shore. He hoped to study a bright constellation once clouds moved away. A steady breeze fought his balance, and he pressed one boot against the tripod’s leg. He lifted a finger to point out a tiny scratch on the lens. The habit helped him check each surface in order. Cold salt coated the brass tube and made it slippery. While he tightened the screws, a sudden gust shoved the folded pier ladder against the tripod. The front leg slid into loose sand, and the whole telescope leaned forward.

The unsteady weight tipped farther, nudging a lantern on a narrow board. The lantern rolled, struck a stack of flat shells, and sent them skittering across wet timber. One shell slapped into a shallow bucket of seawater. The bucket rocked, water spilled, and a thin stream hurried toward a wooden crate of spare eyepieces. He lunged, caught the crate handle, and dragged it back before the water reached the joints. The tilted tripod still threatened to fall, so he wedged his shoulder under the tube and heaved. The legs dug deeper, regained balance, and the motion stopped the noisy chain. Moonlight now reflected on the newly washed planks. Between scattered shells lay a small carved panel. Seawater had rinsed sand off its surface, revealing the smooth figure of a whale etched in dark wood. A distant gull called once. The breeze slowed across the quiet pier.

木碼頭下傳來泡沫嘶嘶聲，接著濕木板發出輕輕的吱呀。涼霧拂過他的臉頰，海藻的鹹味混著燈油的蠟香。Sam 把小型望遠鏡放在靠近岸邊的木道上。他打算等雲散後觀察一組明亮的星座。一陣穩定的微風讓他站不穩，他用靴子抵住腳架。Sam 抬起手指，指出鏡片上一道細痕。這動作成了檢查每個部件的習慣。冰冷鹽分覆在黃銅管上，使它變得滑溜。他正收緊螺絲，猛烈陣風把折起的梯子撞向腳架，前支腿陷入鬆沙裡，整支望遠鏡往前傾斜。

失衡重量進一步傾倒，推撞到狹板上的燈籠。燈籠滾動，撞散一疊扁貝殼，貝殼沿著濕木板四處滑跑。一片貝殼拍進淺水桶，桶身搖晃，水濺出，細水流奔向放備用目鏡的木箱。他猛撲抓住箱柄，將箱子拖離水跡。傾斜的腳架仍想倒，他把肩膀頂在管身下用力，腳架重新陷深，終於穩住整串吵雜動靜。月光映在被沖洗的木板上。散落的貝殼之間躺著一塊小雕板；海水沖去表層砂粒，顯出一隻深色木刻鯨魚的光滑身形。遠處海鷗短鳴一聲。碼頭上的微風慢了下來。