The Grain That Broke the Heap- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

A thin yeast smell drifted from a damp cloth near the sink. A small gray mouse nosed around the quiet observation table, carrying one striped sunflower seed at a time. He placed each seed into a shallow metal lid, and the tiny heap grew. At its zenith the heap quivered. Two seeds slid down the side and tapped the smooth glass surface. Beside him, an hourglass with cracked neck leaked sand in a steady trickle. The sand landed in a wide dish that already held a bright layer of sugar. The two pale grains formed an unspoken rivalry for space. Light from late afternoon—almost twilight—angled through the window and made the mixed material shine. Yet the border between sugar and sand stayed ambiguous beneath the shifting grains.

The next droplet of sand fell off target and rolled across the dish. It reached the metal lid, bumped the seed mound, and several seeds spilled onto the tabletop. One seed struck a narrow vial filled with powdered chalk. The vial tipped. Chalk dust burst out and coated a wooden model. The small figure showed a standing person with folded hands, almost like a patient poet. Dust from the impact drifted toward the leaking hourglass. Grains stuck to the neck and slowed the sand stream. With less pressure above, sugar in the dish spread outward. It began to flood the open space where the mouse stood. He sprang onto a stack of paper sheets. The papers sagged and sent more chalk dust fluttering. Sand still trickled, sugar still crept, and chalk specks continued to whirl under the window’s warm air.

一股淡淡的酵母味從水槽旁的濕布飄散出來。一隻灰色小鼠繞著安靜的觀察桌活動，一次搬運一粒條紋葵花子。他把每粒種子推進淺金屬蓋中，小堆逐漸升高。當堆頂達到最高點時，整堆微微顫動。兩粒種子順著邊緣滑下，敲到光滑的玻璃面。牠旁邊，一個頸部破裂的沙漏持續滴沙。沙粒落進已經鋪著一層亮白砂糖的寬盤裡。兩種淺色顆粒在盤中無聲競佔空間。午後的光——近乎暮色——斜射進窗戶，讓混合的細料閃亮。然而砂糖與沙粒之間的邊界在不斷移動的顆粒下依舊模糊。

下一滴沙粒落偏，滾過盤面，撞到種子堆，幾粒種子灑在桌上。有一粒撞到裝滿粉筆粉的細管。細管翻倒，粉筆塵猛然散出，覆上木製小模型。那小模型呈站姿，雙手交疊，看起來像位耐心的詩人。撞擊揚起的粉塵飄向漏沙的沙漏。粉粒黏在沙漏頸部，減慢了沙流。上方壓力減小，盤中的砂糖向外蔓延，開始漫入小鼠所站的空隙。牠跳到一疊紙上，紙張凹陷，更多粉筆塵再次飛揚。沙粒仍在滴落，砂糖仍在蔓延，粉塵在窗邊暖空氣中繼續旋轉。