Steam and the Flying Gull- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

"Pass the kettle."

Ian slid the warm metal across the plank. Steam wrapped the spout and drifted toward a loop of tarred rope. Heat loosened the stiff fibers; the loop sagged and nudged a bright buoy. The buoy swung, tapped the hull, and a soft splash answered underneath. Olive watched the tiny chain reaction with wide eyes, then tipped more water over another coil. Fresh vapour rose, warmed a nearby cleat, and the sun-heated iron released a second rope. That rope fell against a crate stacked on a dolly. The crate rolled an inch, nudged a barrel, and a gull burst from the lid in noisy surprise. White feathers drifted toward the green water below. Salt hung in the breeze and mixed with faint engine oil.

A faded ribbon, leftover from a night-time celebration, fluttered on a bollard near their feet. The knot grazed the hot iron; smoke rose, so Olive lifted it off with a damp cloth. The cloth cooled fast; water hissed on the pier and spread dark spots like stepping stones. Ian crouched and pressed the cloth against the third coil, curious about another reaction. Warmth travelled along the hemp, reached an anchor chain, and the chain groaned as metal expanded. Later, the first cooled rope tightened again and pulled the buoy back toward the post. Both children shifted to keep balance, their boots creaking on the sun-baked boards. Kindness lingered near the ropes as a tin of water for stray cats warmed in the light. Tide fog crept over the gangplank and wrapped the wooden surface. Mist thickened above the gangplank, and the swell rocked against the pier.

「把水壺遞過來。」

伊恩把溫熱的金屬壺滑過木板。蒸氣裊裊，飄向一圈焦油繩。熱度使纖維鬆開，那圈繩垂下，輕撞一顆亮浮球。浮球晃動，敲了船殼，底下便傳來柔和的水聲。奧莉芙睜大眼看著這小小連鎖反應，又把更多熱水澆在另一卷繩上。新一股水汽升起，暖了附近的系纜柱，日曬的鐵鬆開了第二條繩。那繩掉向堆在手推車上的木箱。木箱滑動一寸，頂到桶子，一隻海鷗吱喳飛出桶蓋，帶來突如其來的驚嚇。白色羽毛飄向下方的綠水。微鹹海風夾著淡淡機油味。

一條褪色緞帶——昨夜慶典留下的——在腳邊繫船樁上飄舞。緞結擦過灼熱鐵面，冒出一縷煙，奧莉芙用濕布將它夾起。布料迅速變涼，水分在碼頭上噴嘶作響，留下像跳石般的深色斑點。伊恩蹲下，把布壓在第三圈繩上，好奇下一輪變化。熱度沿著麻繩傳到錨鍊，金屬受熱膨脹，發出呻吟。稍後，先前冷卻的繩又繃緊，把浮球拉回柱邊。兩個孩子移動身子保持平衡，鞋底在曬熱木板上吱呀作響。繩旁放著給流浪貓喝水的小鐵碗，在陽光下逐漸變暖，默默流露善意。潮霧爬上跳板，包裹木面。濃霧籠住跳板上方，浪湧拍擊碼頭。