The Fallen Shuttle and the Hidden Star in Cloth - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Nora and Inez reached the cloth stalls after a neighbor's tipoff about a weaver. Under the striped awning, cool shade lay on their arms, and a sweet spice smell mixed with wool. Voices from nearby stalls crossed the narrow lane, and feet brushed past their shoes. A cat rested on a folded canvas, its ears turning when threads slid over wood. The weaver's hands sent a small shuttle across the loom, and the frame clicked. Inez has lived this market lifestyle for years, so her steps slowed near color. Nora pressed her palm on a linen square and felt the weave sit firm.

She traced a seam on a pouch from a hook, and the edge resisted her fold. Its shape stayed flat, and the stitch line held firm under her thumb. The cat stood, stretched, and sniffed a loose tail of thread. The weaver lifted her shuttle again; the wood looked smooth, and it slid fast. Then a quick paw brushed the moving thread near the loom's edge. The shuttle slipped off the frame, fell, and rolled into a bowl of glass beads. The beads rang against the tin rim and jumped like quick rain.

Inez steadied the bowl while the weaver set the shuttle back on her palm. Nora crouched, gathered a few beads, and felt their chill slide over her fingers. A small pouch flipped inside out in the fall, and a bright lining showed a star shape. The cat lowered its head and watched the shine without moving. Nora rubbed the turned edge and pressed the bright seam flat again, pressed.

Nora 和 Inez 在鄰居給的消息後，走到布料攤位找一位織布匠。條紋遮陽棚下的陰影貼在她們手臂上，甜甜的香料味和羊毛的味道混在一起。附近攤位的談話越過狹窄的通道，行人的腳步從她們鞋邊掠過。一隻貓趴在摺好的帆布上，線在木頭上滑動時，它的耳朵跟著轉動。織布匠的手把小梭子送過織機，機架發出清脆一聲。Inez 多年來一直過著這樣的市集生活，所以她走到有顏色的布前時步子放慢。Nora 把手掌按在一塊亞麻上，感到織紋穩穩地頂著。

她沿著一個吊在鉤子上的小袋摸過去的縫線，邊緣頂著她的折疊。它的形狀保持平平的，針腳在她拇指下穩穩不動。那隻貓站起來伸了個懶腰，又聞了聞一條鬆開的線尾。織布匠再次抬起梭子；木頭看起來很光滑，滑得很快。接著一隻迅速的爪子在織機邊碰了一下正在移動的線。梭子從機架邊緣滑落，掉下來，滾進一個裝著玻璃珠的碗裡。珠子敲在錫邊上，叮噹作響，還跳了幾下。

Inez 穩住那個碗，織布匠把梭子又放回手心。Nora 蹲下，撿起幾顆珠子，冰涼感從指間劃過。一個小袋在掉落時翻了面，亮色的內裡露出星形圖案。那隻貓低下頭，看著那一抹亮光，身子一動不動。Nora 揉順翻出的邊緣，又把那條亮色的縫壓平，按下。