When Foam Apples Begin to Roll Backstage - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

"Hold the tray flat," York whispered.

Fletcher braced his elbows and steadied the thin wooden tray against his vest. A layer of chalky dust covered the backstage floor. He walked forward; his shoes left faint soft lines through the powder. Behind the curtain, muffled voices rose and fell like steady slow waves. Amber work-light glowed on the tray, and the smooth paint shone against the velvet curtain.

The stage floor dipped slightly near a loose plank, and the tray began to tilt left. The foam apples slid, touched, and then pressed together; Fletcher felt the stack wobble under his thumbs. One apple rolled free and bumped a painted bottle, which swayed like a pendulum beside the props table. York stepped forward and touched the bottle neck; the glass settled, yet the apples kept shifting. Fletcher lowered the tray toward a stool; he expected gravity to calm the pile. The stool stood on a folded canvas drop, so one leg rested higher and the platform leaned forward. At that moment the apples began a bright cascade, bouncing from layer to layer down the wobbling tray.

Two landed safely, but one struck the floor, and its thin painted skin started to peel away. Fletcher caught the last apple against his chest; a sticky feeling of old varnish clung to his shirt. York breathed out a short laugh, then pointed at the scattered fruit. Light from the wings touched the foam, ready to transform plain shapes into shining treasure. One apple kept spinning near the plank; each turn shifted its weight closer to the stage edge. The wooden fruit rolls again and taps the loosened plank beside the stool. The plank tilts, and the stool drifts forward, growing closer to the footlights.

「把托盤端平，」約克低聲說。

弗萊徹撐緊手肘，把薄木托盤穩在背心前。後台地板覆著一層粉狀灰塵。他向前走，鞋底在粉裡留下柔細線條。幕後傳來低沉的聲浪，忽高忽低。琥珀色工作燈映著托盤，光滑的漆面在天鵝絨布幕旁閃亮。

舞台地板在一塊鬆動木板旁微微下陷，托盤因此向左傾斜。泡棉蘋果滑動、碰撞，又緊貼在一起；弗萊徹感到整疊水果在拇指下搖晃。一顆蘋果滾出，撞到漆瓶，瓶身如擺錘般來回晃動。約克上前碰了碰瓶頸，玻璃穩住，可蘋果仍不停移動。弗萊徹把托盤放向凳子，以為重力會讓堆疊安定。凳子卻踩在摺起的帆布布景上，一條腿因此較高，整面座板前傾。就在這時，蘋果發生亮眼的連鎖傾瀉，沿著搖晃托盤一層一層彈落。

兩顆平安落下，但有一顆撞到地面，薄薄漆層開始剝落。弗萊徹把最後一顆抱在胸前；舊亮光漆的黏感黏在襯衫上。約克輕聲笑了一下，指向散落的水果。翼側射來的燈光照在泡棉上，準備把平凡造型轉成閃亮寶物。一顆蘋果仍在木板旁旋轉，每轉一次就更靠近舞台邊緣。那顆木質水果再次滾動，輕輕敲到鬆脫木板。木板傾斜，凳子向前滑行，離聚光燈越來越近。