The Missing Tulip and the Misted Tissue Roll - 適合中高級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Only five white tulips leaned in the front bucket; a clear slot showed moving water where another had stood.

Above the outdoor display, a cord looped through a small pulley, an embarrassed knot bunching short of the wheel. A grey cat crouched beside the drip tray, whiskers near blue-grey water, tail tapping the tray’s steel lip. Sawyer paused at the threshold as cool air slid from the door; the bell gave a thin, silver jingle. His parent drifted to the greeting-card rack, reading envelopes, while the florist wiped the counter near pale vases. A sixth stem had vanished, so he bent by the bucket and parted white heads with careful, chilly fingers. Beneath the rim, a shorter tulip lay sideways against the wall; he lifted it free with slow, steady hands. "That bell sounds soft today," his parent said, glancing over as a blue shadow slid across the tiles.

At the wrapping station, he set the bundle down; the florist trimmed, then reached for a ringing phone. While waiting, Sawyer pulled tissue from the upper roll; the corner tore along a damp, pale crease. He tried a second sheet, slower this time, yet the same line returned, fraying like dry sand. He tipped the roll toward light and saw a cool sheen; above, a pipe fed a tidy manifold. Pin-nozzles misted for a breath, and tiny drops settled; the nearer roll held softened layers along its rim. He slid the vase aside, reached a lower roll with a crisp edge, and squared two sheets together. The cat rose for the moving ribbon; Sawyer tapped a leaf to mollify that quick, silver paw. He drew ribbon downward, the spool unwound cleanly, and the shorter tulip sat centered among taller stems. Cold from the vase lingered on his knuckles, and the paper left a faint chill along his skin. He lifted the wrapped stems and skimmed the cat's ear with the ribbon tail lightly.

前排水桶裡只剩下五支白色鬱金香；空出的縫隙透出流動的水面。

戶外花架上方，一條繩子穿過小小的滑輪，靠近輪子處擠成一團彆扭的結。一隻灰貓蹲在滴水盤旁，鬍鬚貼近帶藍灰色的水，尾巴輕點著鋼邊。索耶停在門檻邊，涼氣從門內滑出；門鈴發出細細、銀亮的叮聲。他的家長走向賀卡架，翻看信封，花店員則在淡色花瓶旁擦拭工作台。第六支花不見了，他便在桶邊彎下身，用冰涼而小心的手指撥開一圈白色花頭。桶緣下，一支較短的鬱金香橫躺貼著桶壁；他慢慢把它捧起來。家長瞥過來說：「今天的門鈴聲好輕。」同時一抹藍色陰影滑過地磚。

在包裝台上，他把花束放好；店員修剪完花腳，便伸手去接響起的電話。等候時，索耶從上層紙卷拉下一張薄紙；邊角沿著一條淡淡的濕痕撕裂。他再拿第二張，手勢更慢，但同一條裂線又出現，像乾沙一樣脆裂。他把紙卷往光線方向傾起，看見邊緣有一層冷冷的微亮；上方一支細管通向整齊的分流器。細小噴頭短短噴了一口霧，微滴落下；靠近那邊的紙卷邊緣已經變軟。他把花瓶往旁邊推，換取下層邊緣俐落的紙，疊成兩層支撐的包裹。灰貓起身去撥動移動的緞帶；索耶用一片葉子輕點，安撫那隻敏捷的銀色爪子。他往下方拉緞帶，卷軸順滑放線，較短的鬱金香就居中站在較高的花之間。花瓶的冰涼還留在他的指節上，薄紙也在皮膚上留下淡淡涼意。他把包好的花束舉起，用緞帶尾巴輕輕掠過貓耳。