Wax Dolphin on the Warm Station Bench - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

The bench slats felt warm and slightly gritty under Haida’s palm. A narrow bar of sunshine ran along the platform edge, while cooler air drifted from the open waiting-room door behind her. Above, the iron framework of the footbridge shone, and a faint heat shimmer hovered near the rails. From the station chimney a slow puff of warmer air rose and faded. Haida set her small tin lunch box beside her shoes, then lifted its lid. Inside lay a bright wax eraser shaped like a dolphin, kept for sketching during the trip.

She placed the eraser on the sunlit bench. Within minutes its smooth back softened; a tiny curve drooped at the tail. Haida pressed a thumb against the wax to measure the give and found it almost sticky. "The train will be here soon," Selwyn said as he checked the clock. Haida nodded, slid the softening figure onto a cool shade board, and watched a drop of clear wax gather under the flipper. A distant whistle rolled across the fields, and the platform boards gave a light tremor in reply.

The whistle grew sharper, and warm air from the approaching engine brushed Haida’s face. She pulled a cotton scarf from her bag, spread it on the shaded bench, and set the dolphin in the center. The wax cooled quickly, holding its shape again. The front sheet of the timetable lifted in the breeze and settled. Haida folded the soft scarf over the tin, tucking each corner tight.

長椅的木條在海妲掌下溫熱又略帶粗糙。月台邊緣一道細長的陽光帶閃著亮光，身後開著的候車室門口卻飄出較涼的空氣。上方天橋的鐵架發著光，鐵軌旁浮著微微的熱氣。車站的煙囪吐出一道暖乎乎的白煙後便漸漸散開。海妲把小鐵午餐盒放到鞋旁，掀起盒蓋。裡面躺著一塊海豚形狀的亮色蠟擦，她打算在旅途中用來畫畫。

她把蠟擦放到有陽光的椅面上。幾分鐘後，蠟擦光滑的背部變軟；尾巴的細彎微微下垂。海妲用拇指按了按蠟，測試軟度，覺得有些黏。「列車快到了，」塞溫對著鐘說。海妲點頭，把變軟的蠟擦滑到陰涼的木板上，看著一滴透明蠟珠在鰭下聚成。遠方的汽笛聲越過田野傳來，月台木板隨之輕輕震動。

汽笛聲更近了，來車帶來的暖氣拂過海妲的臉。她從包裡抽出一條棉圍巾，攤放在陰涼的椅面，將海豚放在正中。蠟很快冷卻，再次保持形狀。時刻表的前頁在微風中抬起又落下。海妲把柔軟的圍巾摺起來覆在鐵盒上，把每個角都塞得緊緊的。