The Ruler Slips at the Farm Fence - 適合初級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

The morning was clear at the edge of the farm.

Orla stood outside the fence near the low bench today. A backpack on the gravel held a notebook, marker, and ruler. Orla took a folded farm map from the open backpack. She wanted to mark the hen house on the map. The gate hinge creaked softly near the path.

She rested her map gently on the top fence rail. Fresh straw at the hen house door drifted and blocked view. She set the ruler on the rail to line up her map. A goat kid nudged the fence post near the open field. The rail quivered a little, and the ruler rotated then slid off. It dropped onto gravel, tapped a pebble, and dust lifted. Dust lifted, and a tiny grey feather rose then fell.

Orla picked up the ruler from the gravel edge carefully. She moved two steps along the fence to the nearby bench end. From there, a lower gap opened past the drifting straw. She saw a white, a brown, and a speckled egg inside. She saw the eggs and made a small dot with the marker. She drew a straight line with the ruler to it carefully.

A pale dew ring shrank slowly on the bench rim. A small creature, a rabbit, nibbled quietly near the hedge. The father stayed within arm's reach, sorting the backpack slowly. Orla slid the marker into the storage pocket now.

早晨很晴朗，在農場的邊緣。

Orla 站在柵欄外，靠近低矮的長椅。砂礫地上的背包裡放著一本筆記本、麥克筆和尺。Orla 從打開的背包裡拿出一張摺好的農場地圖。她想在地圖上標出雞舍的位置。大門的轉軸在小路旁輕輕作響。

她把地圖輕輕放在上方的柵欄橫桿上。雞舍門口的新鮮稻草飄動，擋住了視線。她把尺放在橫桿上，對齊她的地圖。一隻小山羊在開闊草地旁頂了柵欄柱子一下。柵欄微微發抖，尺開始旋轉，然後滑落。它掉到礫石上，碰到一顆石子，灰塵升起。灰塵升起，一根灰色小羽毛升起又落下。

Orla 小心地從礫石邊撿起那把尺。她沿著柵欄走了兩步，到附近的長椅一端。從那裡，一個較低的縫隙出現，越過飄動的稻草。她看見一顆白色、一顆棕色、和一顆斑點的蛋。她看見這些蛋，便用麥克筆點上一個小點。她用尺小心地畫出一條直線連到那裡。

長椅邊的淡淡露環慢慢縮小。一隻小動物，一隻兔子，在樹籬旁安靜啃草。父親就在她伸手可及的地方，慢慢整理背包。Orla 現在把麥克筆滑回收納口袋裡。