Chimney Drip Changes the Marbling Pattern - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

A soft hiss came from the kettle as Ives poured warm water into the thick liquid. Steam drifted over the shallow tray, and warmth touched Ella's knuckles above the surface. Cool light slid across the thick liquid; a faint seaweed smell mixed with the steam. The wooden rim showed pale marks from many liftings, and one corner held a small bump. A metal chimney pipe crossed the ceiling, cool and dull with old dust. Thin sunlight fell across the left edge and warmed the liquid along that side. Near the wall, a folded stroller waited, its fabric cool and a little stiff. Near the ceiling, stale warm air hovered under the pipe.

Ives tapped the tray with a knuckle. "Ready for your colors?" he said. Ella held the dropper and let a blue drop land near the warm rim. It spread fast there, but a cool drop in the shade stayed tight. The colors did not spread evenly across the tray, and her hand paused. "The left side runs like summer," she said, holding her breath near the steam. She drew a slow curl with the stylus, and blue broke into soft bands.

A clear drip fell from the cool chimney pipe and struck the center with a bump. It pressed the inks apart, and a pale ring opened, wide and smooth. Ella pointed with a wet finger. "It made a circle," she said. They laid paper over the pattern, and cool weight met their palms. When they lifted it, the ring showed faint bricks, like the chimney above. Ives set it on the drying rack, between sheets with curled corners and old specks. High above, new steam touches the cool pipe and gathers into another bead. On the tray, the pale ring slides outward, and the blue edge darkens.

水壺發出輕輕的嘶嘶聲，當艾夫斯把溫水倒進濃稠的液體裡。蒸氣飄過淺淺的盤面，溫度碰到艾拉在液面上方的指節。冷色的光滑過濃厚的水面；淡淡的海藻味和蒸氣混在一起。木製邊框留著多次提起的淺痕，角上還有一個小凸點。天花板上橫過一條金屬煙囪管，帶著舊塵的冷暗。細長的陽光落在左邊緣，讓那一側的液體變暖。牆邊放著一台折疊嬰兒車，布料摸起來冰涼又有點硬。靠近天花板處，陳舊的暖空氣停在管子下方。

艾夫斯用指節輕敲托盤。「準備好你的顏色了嗎？」他說。艾拉拿著滴管，讓一滴藍色落在溫暖的邊緣附近。那裡擴散得很快，而陰影處的一滴冷色卻收得很緊。顏色在盤面上並沒有平均地鋪開，她的手停了一下。「左邊像夏天在流動，」她說，靠近蒸氣屏住呼吸。她用細針畫出一個慢慢的旋，藍色分成柔和的條帶。

一滴清水從冰涼的煙囪管上落下，碰到中央發出一下輕響。它把墨色推開，一圈淡色的環隨即展開，平滑又寬。艾拉用濕手指指了指。「它變成一個圓圈，」她說。他們把紙覆在圖樣上，清涼的重量壓在手心。當他們把紙提起時，那圈痕顯出淡淡的磚格，像上面的煙囪。艾夫斯把它放到晾架上，夾在角落微翹、帶著舊點子的紙張之間。高處，新的蒸氣碰到冰涼的管子，正聚成另一顆水珠。盤面上，那道淡環正向外滑去，藍色的邊緣也正變深。