Fan and Bellows Make a Stripe at the Dye Tub - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

“Here is the small fan.”

Ursula set it by the tub and rubbed a wet ring from the wood. A sharp herbal smell sat over the dye, and the rim felt cool. A light draft brushed her arm, and loose corners fluttered near the basin. Ronan leaned on the open window sill, and the cloth on the line fluttered. The damp cloth carried weight that pressed her wrists, while the line creaked faintly. Ronan's sleeve ruffled at the elbow when the next puff crossed the room. Ursula polished a smooth clothespin with her thumb, and a tiny speck stained her nail.

She lifted a white square from the basin and blew across its face. The wet cloth trembled, and a faint blue stripe grew where air crossed. She breathed out once more, slower, and the small surface ripple faded. She fanned from the side this time, and a darker band edged the middle. She worked the fan gently; short puffs made the fabric billow and slap the air. Her fingers cooled in the draft, and the cloth pressed soft against her knuckles. She raised it higher to inspect the edge, and droplets ticked into the tub. She tried the little bellows; a soft puff left the nozzle with a whistle. The bellows drew in air with a small suction and rounded the center. A sudden gust came through the gap and flipped one damp corner back. It marked a bold diagonal stripe across the pale side of cloth.

Ursula let the fan hang and set the square half-folded across the rim. She turned from the tub and reached for a paper pinwheel on the sill. Her finger tapped a blade, and the bright wheel spun fast and whistled.

「這把小扇子在這裡。」

Ursula 把它放在染缸旁，還把木頭上的濕痕擦掉。染液上方帶著尖銳的草本氣味，缸沿摸起來很涼。輕微的氣流掠過她的手臂，盆邊的鬆角跟著抖動。Ronan 靠在打開的窗台上，曬衣繩上的布也微微顫動。潮濕的布帶著重量，壓在她手腕上，曬衣繩同時發出細細的嘎吱聲。下一股微風穿過屋內時，Ronan 的袖口在手肘處也起了皺波。Ursula 用拇指把一個光滑的木夾磨得更亮，一小點染色也染在她的指甲上。

她把一塊白方布從清水盆裡提起，朝布面吹了一口氣。濕布微微發抖，空氣掠過的地方浮出一條淺藍線。她又慢慢吐了一口氣，水面的小漣漪便消失了。這回她從側面搧，較深的一道邊痕沿著中間走。她輕輕搖扇；短促的氣團讓布面鼓起，還拍打著空氣。微風拂過，她的手指變得涼，布又柔軟地貼住她的指節。她把布舉得更高檢查邊緣，幾滴水又滴回染缸。她試了小風囊；柔和的一噴從噴口推出，還帶著一聲輕哨。風囊吸進空氣，出現一點小小的吸力，讓中間微微拱起。一陣突來的陣風穿過縫隙，把一角濕布翻了回去。淡面上就多了一道醒目的斜條紋。

Ursula 讓扇子垂著，將那塊方布半摺著放在缸沿。她離開染缸，伸手去拿窗台上的紙風車。她的指尖輕點其一片扇葉，亮色的圓輪飛快轉動，發出呼呼聲。