'Hey, stop!' he yelled. I turned round and saw the man in black. I could see that he was running towards an old lady. She was probably about 75, walking slowly with a leather handbag. He probably thought it would be very easy to take something from a person like that. My heart was pounding furiously in my chest as the man raced towards her. I thought I knew what he planned to do.
"مرحباً، توقف!" صرخ. استدرت ورأيت الرجل ذي الرداء الأسود. استطعت أن أرى أنه كان يركض نحو سيدة عجوز. ربما كان عمرها حوالي 75 عاماً، تمشي ببطء مع حقيبة يد جلدية. ربما اعتقد أنه سيكون من السهل جداً أخذ شيء من شخص كهذا. كان قلبي ينبض بشدة في صدري بينما كان الرجل يركض نحوها. اعتقدت أنني أعرف ما كان يخطط للقيام به.
The day had started so well. I had been wandering aimlessly around the city, taking photographs, stopping occasionally for an ice cream or a coffee, without a care in the world. I first spotted him walking along the beach. He looked out of place among the families and young couples. He was wearing a black suit and tie with dark glasses, and looked typical of a bad guy in films. He was muttering into a phone. I watched him as he sat down on a bench. He peered curiously at me as I walked past him, but his attention was soon distracted by another call on his phone.
كان اليوم قد بدأ بشكل جيد جداً. كنت أتجول بلا هدف في المدينة، ألتقط الصور، وأتوقف بين الحين والآخر لتناول الآيس كريم أو القهوة، دون أي هم في العالم. لاحظته لأول مرة يمشي على الشاطئ. كان يبدو في غير مكانه بين العائلات والأزواج الشباب. كان يرتدي بدلة سوداء وربطة عنق مع نظارات داكنة، وبدا وكأنه الشرير التقليدي في الأفلام. كان يتمتم في الهاتف. راقبته وهو يجلس على مقعد. حدّق بي بفضول وأنا أمشي بجانبه، ولكن سرعان ما تشتت انتباهه بمكالمة أخرى على هاتفه.
The old woman glanced at the man and stopped as she was walking past. 'Stop!' He bellowed again. Then, he grabbed her by the arm.
نظرت المرأة العجوز إلى الرجل وتوقفت وهي تمر بجانبه. "توقف!" صرخ مرة أخرى. ثم أمسك بها من ذراعها.
At that moment, I saw something falling from the sky. A crane from a building site across the road was toppling over some bricks. No sooner had the man pulled the woman away that the crane crashed to the ground where she had been standing! Shame flooded through me. I had thought he was a criminal, but in fact he was a hero who had saved her!
في تلك اللحظة، رأيت شيئاً يسقط من السماء. كانت رافعة من موقع بناء عبر الطريق تُسقط بعض الطوب. لم يكد الرجل يسحب المرأة بعيداً حتى تحطمت الرافعة على الأرض حيث كانت تقف! غمرني الخجل. كنت أعتقد أنه مجرم، لكنه في الواقع كان بطلاً أنقذها!
Reading Comprehension Check
1. What did the narrator initially think the man in black was going to do?
2. Why did the man in black yell "Stop!"?
3. How did the narrator feel at the end of the story?
4. Approximately how old was the lady in the story?
5. What was the old lady carrying?
6. What was the narrator doing before noticing the man in black?
7. Where did the narrator first spot the man in black?
8. Why did the man in black look "out of place"?
9. What distracted the man in black when he was sitting on the bench?
10. What was the danger that almost hit the old woman?