Rain Through the Leaf- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

A small hamster nosed out from a gap beneath the compost barrel. Dry straw lay scattered beside a flowerpot. Each piece could line the shallow nest under the barrel. Rain began as light specks, yet wind blew them sideways. Cold droplets struck from nearly every angle around him. At the same moment the wooden deck nearby started to vibrate. A washing machine inside the kitchen rattled through the wall and floor. The twin motions sent loose soil rolling and made the straw slide farther away. Above, an immense gray sheet of sky hung without break. A sparrow on the gutter streamed a quick melody that skipped between gusts. The hamster crouched low; whiskers twitched with every fresh tremor.

A broad nasturtium leaf, which had fallen during yesterday's watering, lay near the pot. The hamster gripped the stem with his front teeth and dragged the green shield over his head. The leaf blocked the sideways rain, so his fur stayed almost dry. Yet the trembling ground still rocked beneath his claws. He pressed the leaf against his back and scrambled toward the straw pile. Vibration shook the shield edge; water pooled on its surface. Halfway across, the leaf began to tear along its veins. Cold drops leaked through the growing slit. The straw was reached, but each splash soaked the fragile pieces. By the time the hamster slid them toward the barrel, the leaf hung in ribbons. Steady rain had already deepened its color to dark green. Damp straw clung together in a small mound. Wind kept pushing new drops into the heap.

一隻小倉鼠從堆肥桶下的縫隙探出鼻子。乾稻草散落在花盆旁；每一根都能鋪在桶下淺淺的巢穴裡。細雨開始落下，風卻把雨點斜吹，冷水珠從各個方向打在牠身上。同時，旁邊的木甲板開始震動；廚房裡的洗衣機透過牆壁和地面發出顫抖。雙重動作讓鬆土滾動，也把稻草推得更遠。上方是一大片灰色天空；屋簷上的麻雀唱出快速的旋律，在陣風間跳動。倉鼠伏低，鬚鬚隨著每一次新的震動輕顫。

一片昨天澆水時掉落的旱金蓮大葉躺在花盆旁。倉鼠用門牙咬著葉柄，把綠色「盾牌」拖到頭頂。葉片擋住斜雨，牠的毛幾乎保持乾燥；然而顫動的地面仍在爪下搖晃。牠把葉子貼在背上，衝向稻草堆。震動搖晃葉緣，水積在葉面。走到一半，葉片沿著葉脈開始撕裂，冰涼水滴透過裂縫滲下。倉鼠終於抵達稻草，但每一次濺落都把脆弱稻草浸濕。等牠把稻草拖向桶邊時，葉片已成條狀飄垂，連綿細雨把顏色染成深綠。溼稻草黏成一小堆。風繼續把新雨滴推進那堆稻草裡。