Mud Badges, Griddle Rings, and a Beetle's Departure - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Vita set her small mud kitchen by the tap and a flat ceramic tile. An old metal griddle lay on the table as a make-believe pan, cool under her palm. Birch sat within reach on the step with a tin cup of water. A round badge about the environment was pinned to his cap and caught a bit of light. Cool shade lay over the corner, and a damp, earthy smell hung there. Vita scooped dark soil into a bowl and stirred in a slow pour from the cup. The wooden spoon clicked on metal, and the mixture thickened against its edge.

She pinched a ball, pressed it flat on the griddle, and made a round badge. A small leaf from the low vegetation by the fence went face-down, and its little lines left a clear print. She set the disk on the tile. For the next one, she used drier soil from a shady patch. The mud broke at the edge and left a rough rim in her hand. She shrugged and moved to a wetter spot near the tap. The new mix slid smoother across her fingers and left streaks on her wrists.

Birch lifted the griddle by its handle to clear a mark along the rim. A small beetle shot from the cool shadow. Its quick departure sent a tiny splash from Vita's spoon onto her wrist. She laughed and turned the griddle over. A thin pat met the underside, and faint rings pressed into the mud. When she raised the piece, pale circles showed on the top like a little map. Sunlight reached the tile, and a fine line opened on the first badge. Vita set the ringed badge beside it. A clear bead gathered at the edge of the new disk and dropped.

Vita 把她的小泥巴廚房擺在水龍頭旁邊，還放了一塊平的陶瓷磚。桌上放著一個舊的金屬煎盤，當作假裝的平底鍋，摸起來在她掌心很涼。Birch 坐在台階上，伸手就到，手裡拿著一個錫杯裝著水。一枚關於環境的圓形徽章別在他的帽子上，反射了一點光。涼爽的陰影鋪在角落，一股潮濕、帶土味的氣味停在那裡。Vita 把深色土壤舀進碗裡，從杯子裡慢慢倒水攪拌。木湯匙碰到金屬發出喀噠聲，混合物沿著邊緣變得更稠。

她捏了一團，按在煎盤上弄平，做成一枚圓圓的徽章。她從籬笆邊矮小的植被摘下一片小葉子，葉面的小線條留下了清楚的印痕。她把圓片放到那塊磚上。接著她用陰涼處較乾的土壤做下一個。泥在邊緣斷開，在她手中留下粗糙的邊緣。她聳了聳肩，走到水龍頭近一點的較濕的地方。新的混合物在她手指上滑得更順，並在她手腕上留下幾道痕跡。

Birch 握著把手把煎盤抬起，擦掉邊緣上的一道痕。一隻小甲蟲從涼陰裡竄出。它迅速離去，讓 Vita 的湯匙濺出一小點水到她手腕上。她笑了，然後把煎盤翻過來。一片薄薄的泥巴貼上底面，淡淡的圓圈壓進泥裡。她把作品舉起時，淺色的圓圈在上面顯現，像一張小地圖。陽光照到那塊磚上，第一枚徽章上出現了一條細線。Vita 把帶圓圈的徽章放在它旁邊。一顆透明的小水珠在新圓片的邊緣聚起來，然後落下。