Steam on the Jar in the Cellar - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

A faint drip tapped against a tin lid beside the cellar steps. The sound bounced between brick walls and spread through the cool space. Under the single bulb, a small mouse squeezed from a crack, nose twitching at the mild warmth that hovered above a glass jar. The jar rested on a low wooden stool, wrapped in a loose cloth whose embrace left only the smooth neck uncovered. A caring sweep of a broom earlier had cleared loose dust, so the floor offered the mouse a steady path.

Chill stone pressed against its paws while a ribbon of warm air drifted from the jar. Tiny claws scratched, yet condensation blurred the surface, stealing every hint of cleanliness and turning the glass slick. The mouse pushed with all its strength, trying to hold its position while reaching for a single oat flake caught inside a fold of cloth. Warm air rose higher; its participation with the colder ceiling turned into beads that gathered, slid, and finally tapped onto the mouse’s back. The animal shook, water spraying away, then darted behind the stool just as light footsteps sounded on the stairs.

“Hello, little explorer,” a calm voice said above. The steps stopped, leaving the lower room quiet again. The mouse discovered a cork lying near a sack of apples, light yet rough. It rolled the cork against the jar. The cork wedged beneath the glass, fixing the slick surface for a moment. The mouse climbed, balanced on the cork, and scraped the oat flake free with its teeth.

Steam still curls along the jar’s neck. Each drop along the ceiling grows heavier and falls.

輕微的滴水聲敲著階梯旁的錫蓋。聲音在磚牆間彈跳，傳遍涼爽的地下室。單顆燈泡下，一隻小老鼠從牆縫鑽出，牠的鼻尖對著玻璃罐上方微微漂浮的暖氣不停抽動。罐子放在矮木凳上，外面裹著鬆鬆的布料，那層「擁抱」只讓光滑的罐頸裸露。早先體貼的掃帚掃過地面，清走了灰塵，於是地板給了老鼠穩固的道路。

冰涼的石面壓在牠的爪子上，而一縷暖氣從罐口向上漂。小爪抓住罐身時，凝結的水氣抹去原有的潔淨，讓玻璃變得滑溜。老鼠用盡全身力氣，試圖固定身體，同時伸向布摺內的一片燕麥片。暖氣向上升，高處冷牆與其「參與」相遇，變成水珠聚集、滑落，最後滴到老鼠背上。牠抖動身體，甩掉水珠，正好在人聲下樓時鑽到凳後。

「哈囉，小探險家。」樓梯上傳來平穩的聲音，腳步停住，地下室再次安靜。老鼠在蘋果袋旁找到一顆軟木塞，輕卻粗糙。牠把軟木塞滾到罐底，塞住玻璃，使滑面暫時固定。老鼠爬上去，借著塞子的支撐，用牙齒刮下那片燕麥片。

蒸氣持續在罐頸盤旋。天花板上的水珠越聚越重，然後滴落。