Sun-Warmed Hose Water Changes the Garden Path - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Luke stepped into the small vegetable garden, and Greta walked beside him.

A beam of sunlight lay across the path, a pale stripe on the stones.

Warm air met the damp smell from the compost corner near the fence.

Luke pressed his palm on a stepping stone and felt steady warmth spread through it.

Greta knelt near the bed, her hand on a coil of plant fiber twine.

She set the hose end on the soil and checked the gentle flow.

A dull shine covered the watering can, and the curve caught a bright beam.

Luke raised the hose end and opened it a little over the path stones.

A warm burst hit his fingers, and he let the stream glide along the path.

Dark patches spread on the stone, then shrank fast under the steady sun.

The water cooled after a moment, and his palm stayed under the stream.

He poured next into a shallow metal tray that had sat in the sun.

The tray's edge felt hot, and the first trickle ran warm and smooth.

Soft clicks came from the tray, and cooler water followed those sounds.

Greta stayed near him, within reach, one knee down on the dry path.

He tipped water into a clear glass jar and set it over mint.

A mist formed inside the jar, and tiny beads began to glide down.

When he lifted it, warm air rushed out, and the soil smelled sweet.

Near the compost, a tomato had split, and its gel looked viscous.

He touched the gel with one finger and rubbed it slowly between his finger and thumb.

He rinsed his sticky skin, and a cool drop slid under a beet leaf.

Luke 走進小小的菜園，Greta 跟在他身旁。

一道陽光斜成的光束橫在小徑上，像一條淡淡的條紋。

溫暖的空氣和圍籬旁堆肥角落冒出的潮濕氣味相遇。

Luke 把手掌按在踏石上，石面一層穩定的暖意慢慢散開。

Greta 在畦邊跪著，手扶著一圈植物纖維繩。

她把水管的末端放在土上，檢查溫和的水流。

澆水壺泛著暗暗的光澤，它的弧面接住一道亮光。

Luke 抬起水管末端，在小徑的石頭上打開一點水。

一股溫熱先打在他的手指上，他就讓水流沿著小徑滑過。

石面出現一塊塊深色水痕，接著在穩定的陽光下很快縮小。

過了一會兒，水變涼了，他的手掌一直留在水下。

他又倒進一只淺金屬托盤，那托盤剛剛曬在太陽裡。

托盤邊緣摸起來發燙，第一股細流帶著溫熱而且很順。

輕輕的敲擊聲從托盤傳來，接著是更涼的水聲。

Greta 一直在他身邊，伸手就到，一膝蓋跪在乾的路面。

他把水倒進一個透明玻璃罐，把罐子罩在薄荷上。

罐子裡起了薄薄的霧，小水珠開始往下滑動。

他掀開罐子時，暖空氣一下湧出來，土壤聞起來很甜。

堆肥旁邊有顆番茄裂開了，裡頭的膠質看起來很黏稠。

他用一根手指碰了那層膠，慢慢在指尖和拇指間揉開。

他把發黏的皮膚沖一沖，一滴涼水滑到一片甜菜葉下。