When a Wheel Escaped the Toy Workshop - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Owen nudged a narrow cart through the bright workshop doorway, wheels humming over stone.

Wood shavings skittered across the floor and bounced lightly against the toes of his boots. Sunlight flashed over chisels as he set down a stack of fresh pine wheels. Each small piece clicked into a shallow tin tray while he counted toward his private quota. A curious knot bulged from one overhead beam, marking how many rainy seasons the roof endured. With caring strokes, Owen wiped dust from a tiny carved horse that waited beside the planes. A low wooden creak rose from the far stool near the paint jars.

The stool shifted because a striped workshop cat pressed its shoulder against one turned leg. The cat's exploration carried him under the bench and onto the stool’s broad spinning seat. One paw nudged a loose wheel, and the round piece rolled toward the waxed plank. It gained speed, struck the tin tray, and jolted several sister wheels over the rim. A sharp "Whoa!" echoed as Owen lunged forward and trapped two spinning wheels with his palm. Another wheel darted past him, kissed a leaning plank stack, and tipped the top board downward. The board slid a short span and came to rest against the waiting cart with a thud.

Owen exhaled, knelt, and scooped the scattered wheels into the fold of his apron. The cat watched from the stool, tail sweeping a careless loop through the fine dust cloud. "You certainly keep things moving," he said while sliding the tray deeper onto the bench. He rolled the stool farther away, then brushed stray curls of wood into a neat pile. Sawdust drifted downward, twirling through a bright shaft as the workshop settled again. A mottled brown moth fluttered through the narrow gap above the tall door. It circled the hanging lamp once, brushed the warm glass with silent wings, and vanished outside.

歐文把一輛窄手推車推過明亮的工作坊門口，輪子在石地上嗡嗡作響。

木屑在地板上竄動，輕輕撞到他的靴尖。陽光掠過鑿刀，照亮他放下的一疊新松木輪子。每塊小輪子喀噠地落進淺鐵盤，他一邊放一邊數，達到自己今天的數量目標。橫梁上隆起的好奇木節記錄屋頂挨過多少雨季。歐文用細心的碰觸拂去一匹小木馬上的灰塵；雕玩具原是他的嗜好，現在卻擺滿每層架子。遠處靠近顏料罐的凳子發出低低的木頭吱聲。

凳子動了，因為一隻虎斑貓把肩膀頂在車削過的椅腳上。貓的探險路線先鑽到長凳下面，再跳上凳面寬闊而會轉動的座板。一隻爪子推到鬆動的輪子，圓塊沿著打蠟木板滾去。它加速後撞上鐵盤，把幾個同伴輪子震出盤緣。歐文猛衝向前，一聲「哇！」在空間回響，他掌心擋住兩個旋轉輪子。另一個輪子竄過他身旁，輕觸斜靠的板材，最上層木板便往下傾翻。木板滑了一小段，砰地靠在待用的推車上。

歐文吐氣跪下，把散落輪子撈進圍裙摺口。貓坐在凳子上看著，尾巴在細塵雲裡畫出隨意的弧線。「你真會製造動靜，」他一邊把鐵盤推進工作檯深處一邊說。他把凳子再推遠些，隨後把散落的木屑刷成整齊小堆。鋸末在亮光柱中慢慢下落，工作坊重新安靜。斑駁的褐色蛾子從高門縫飄進來，繞吊燈一圈，輕觸溫熱玻璃後又飛出門外。