A Cart Axle Startled the Cat at the Loom - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Under their striped awning, Maeve worked beside Palmer at the wooden loom. Her hands moved by habit, spreading the threads and sending the shuttle through. Warm air met the cool shade; cumin and cut oranges mixed on the breeze. The narrow lane flowed with slow feet and cloth bags brushed the table legs. A gray cat lay under the bench, its eyes tracking the small wooden shuttle. Palmer measured a finished band and dropped a few coins into a cloth pouch.

As the hour grew busier, the walkway filled, and the air turned slightly damp. Maeve felt a softer drag on the threads, and the shuttle no longer skimmed. The wood met a thick touch, and a dull note replaced the easy tap. She narrowed her focus on the gap between threads and eased her wrist. She rotated the front roller a small step, and the roll advanced. The cat raised its head; its ears turned toward the steady clack of wood. Palmer held the table steady with one palm and kept close at her side.

A handcart rolled along the lane; its axle clicked twice as it passed. The gray cat sprang up and tapped the moving shuttle with one quick paw. The wood jumped in Maeve’s grip, but she caught it and set it straight. A light dust of ground spice spread across the band as the air moved. She brushed her sleeve, and a pale mark stayed on the cuff. The rows of thread showed one thicker line where her smaller angle held. She kept her pace and smoothed the edge with a flat fingertip. The cat slipped under the bench again as Maeve slid the shuttle and pressed.

在他們的條紋棚篷下，Maeve 在木製織機旁與 Palmer 一起工作。她的手憑著習慣移動，把線攤開，然後把梭子送過去。溫熱空氣撞上陰涼的篷影；孜然和切開的柳橙混在風裡。狹窄的通道人腳慢慢流動，布袋擦過桌腳。一隻灰貓躺在長凳下，眼睛追著那支小木梭。Palmer 量好一條織帶，把幾枚硬幣放進布袋裡。

隨著時間更忙，走道擠滿了人，空氣也變得微微潮濕。Maeve 覺得線上多了點拉扯，梭子不再輕輕滑過。木頭碰線的聲音變得沉些，清脆敲擊換成了鈍響。她把注意力收向兩排線的狹縫，讓手腕放鬆一點。她把前方的滾筒旋轉一小步，卷起的布條也往前。那隻貓抬起頭；牠的耳朵朝著規律的木頭聲轉去。Palmer 用手掌按住桌面，人在她身旁沒有走遠。

一輛手推車沿著通道滾過；它的輪軸在旁邊連點兩下。那隻灰貓跳起來，用一下快爪輕拍正在移動的梭子。木頭在 Maeve 的握裡抖了一下，但她接住它並擺正。一層細細的香料粉隨著空氣飄散，鋪在織帶上。她拍了拍衣袖，袖口留下了一道淡淡的痕跡。線的行列出現一道較厚的線，因為她把角度變小。她維持步調，用平平的指腹把邊緣抹順。貓又滑回長凳底下，Maeve 推梭並向下按壓。