Echo Under the Viewing Deck- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

A brass railing, a coin-operated viewer, and a loose hose nozzle clinked and hissed beside the platypus observation deck. Mae paused there with her older relative Lars; footsteps thumped on the paved path while distant macaws kept up a crackly chatter. The hose’s joint gave a soft pop, and water began to patter onto the concrete, each droplet ringing against a metal drain cover that sat just a little higher than the path.

The patter thickened into a thin stream, slid beneath the drain cover, and reappeared farther downhill with a faint glug. That new runnel coursed toward a wooden crate propped on one corner by a brittle wedge of cardboard. Water soaked the wedge; the cardboard sagged, and the crate’s side banged the path with a dull boom. The vibration rattled a nearby signpost, setting its aluminum sheet quivering like a cymbal. That sharp tremor rolled across the deck; in the silent pocket that followed, a muffled splash rose from the murky exhibit pool.

A park ranger hurried over, boots scraping, and twisted the hose valve until the rush shrank to an irregular drip. Moments later, a sleek bill broke the pool’s surface; the platypus performed a quick leap through its own ripples and vanished again, leaving only concentric sloshes against the glass wall. Mae and Lars laughed, the sound echoing under the wooden canopy, then strolled toward the giraffe enclosure as the closing announcement buzzed over distant speakers. Behind them, a lone bead slipped from the hose and spiraled toward the drain.

一根黃銅欄杆、投幣式望遠鏡和一截鬆動的水管噴嘴在鴨嘴獸觀景台旁叮噹作響並發出嘶嘶聲。梅和她年長的表親拉斯停在那裡；走道上腳步聲咚咚作響，遠處的金剛鸚鵡持續發出劈啪般的叫聲。水管接頭輕輕一響，水滴開始啪嗒落到混凝土地面，每一滴都敲在稍微高於小道的金屬排水蓋上。

啪嗒聲變成細細水流，滑到排水蓋下，又在下坡處伴隨「咕嚕」聲重新現身。新的細流朝一只木箱奔去，木箱的一角靠一塊脆弱的紙板墊高。水浸透紙板，紙板塌陷，木箱側面「砰」地碰到地面。震動使旁邊的指示牌嗡嗡作響，鋁板像鈸一樣顫抖。尖銳的顫動傳到觀景台；隨後的短暫寂靜裡，展池中傳出「撲通」的悶響。

一位公園護管員快步趕來，靴底摩擦聲響起，他扭緊水閥，水流縮成不規則的滴答。片刻後，一張光滑的喙從池面探出；鴨嘴獸在自己的漣漪中快速躍起又消失，只留同心波紋拍打玻璃牆。梅和拉斯笑出聲，回音在木質雨棚下迴盪，隨後向長頸鹿展區走去，而關園廣播在遠處喇叭裡嗡嗡響起。他們沒注意到，身後又一滴水珠從水管落下，旋轉著奔向排水口。