A Marble Chain Starts in the Shed - 適合初級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

A tin bucket clinked on the shed floor.

Ives balanced a ruler on a low box. He placed a pencil across the narrow end. He set a glass marble at the top. Halle arrived at the open door and watched. She said, "I want to see it go." Cool air stayed inside the shed.

Ives lifted his hand and let the marble go. It rolled down the ruler and clicked on wood. The pencil started to roll and dropped off. It bumped a tape roll on the table. The tape roll spun and struck a tin lid. The lid slid forward and tapped the bucket. The bucket rocked on its base and nudged the broom. The broom slid along the floor a short way.

Halle stepped in and caught the broom with her hand. Her catch turned the handle and nudged a second lid. The lid flipped down and became a small ramp. Its edge struck a shallow tray by the ramp. One loose marble dropped onto the new ramp. It rolled along the ramp and into the tin lid. Halle held the broom still, and the bucket stayed put. Inside the lid, the marble kept circling with a soft hiss.

一個錫桶在工具間的地上叮噹一聲。

Ives 把一把尺放在矮盒子上，讓它平衡。他把一支鉛筆橫放在窄的一端。他把一顆玻璃彈珠放在頂端。Halle 來到敞開的門邊，站著看。她說：「我想看它跑下去。」涼涼的空氣留在工具間裡。

Ives 抬起手，放開那顆彈珠。它沿著尺子往下滾，在木頭上喀噠作響。那支鉛筆開始轉動，然後滾落下來。它撞到桌上的一個膠帶捲。那個膠帶捲旋轉著，頂到一個錫蓋。那個蓋子往前滑，輕輕碰到水桶。水桶在底座上晃動，推到旁邊的掃把。掃把在地板上滑了一小段。

Halle 走進來，用手抓住掃把。她抓住時轉動了握把，又頂到另一個蓋子。那個蓋子翻下來，成了一個小斜坡。它的邊緣撞到斜坡旁的一個淺盤。有一顆鬆動的彈珠掉到新的斜坡上。它沿著斜坡滾下，進到那個錫蓋裡。Halle 把掃把固定住，水桶也不再移動。在蓋子裡，彈珠持續繞圈，發出輕輕的嘶聲。