One Marble Too Fast- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Grey stretched a thick rubber band across a wooden peg. The peg sat near a tall window of the lighthouse. One lonely marble lay on the table, just under the band. Tess, his partner, held a small tin instrument shaped like a bell. She nodded, ready to hear a bright clang. Soft light from the sea rolled through the glass panes.

Grey snapped the band, and the marble shot forward. It struck a row of springy shells lined on a plank. The plank bent, and a tight rubber cord beneath twanged free. The rising plank flipped the bell instrument into the air. The instrument rang, sending a gleeful chime across the room. The chime vibrated a stack of papers near the window ledge. Several sheets slid off, caught the ocean breeze, and spiraled downward. Tess lunged and pressed the window shut, stopping the flying paper chain. A loose page fluttered near the floor hatch.

格雷把一條粗橡皮筋拉到一根木釘上。那根木釘就在燈塔高窗旁邊。桌上只有一顆孤單的彈珠，正卡在橡皮筋下。泰絲是他的搭檔，她握著一個小鐵鈴形樂器。她點點頭，等著聽清脆的聲響。海面透進的柔亮光線在玻璃窗間滑動。

格雷放開橡皮筋，彈珠立刻飛射出去。它撞到排成列的彈性貝殼。木板被壓彎，底下繃緊的橡皮繩猛然甩脫。抬起的木板把鐵鈴拋向空中。樂器發聲，愉快的鈴響傳遍房間。鈴響震動了窗臺邊的一疊紙。幾張紙滑落，被海風捲起，在空中旋轉。泰絲衝過去關上窗戶，阻住這串飛紙。仍有一張鬆散的紙在地板艙口邊飄動。