Lantern Loosened by a Bamboo Pole - 適合初級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Rough twine pressed hard across Ursula's small fingers.

She stood beside the low stone town gate.

The afternoon work already looked quite clear today.

She planned to hang ten red lanterns before dusk.

From the road, distant drums marked a parade.

Late sunlight warmed the dusty stones near her shoes.

Ursula climbed a short wooden stool and lifted the first lantern.

A sudden wind burst up and tossed the thin frame.

It landed on a cherry branch above the gate.

The branch bent, and the lantern swung over the path.

Loose petals drifted down, covering the stool top.

She stepped two careful paces back from the stool.

Her eyes found a bamboo pole leaning by a planter.

She grabbed the smooth pole, trusting its strength.

Its length reached the branch but failed to free the knot.

Alma stopped nearby with her small family of geese.

"This old handle is long," Alma said softly.

A broken broom leaned against the fence.

Ursula hooked the knot and gave one slow twist.

The twine loosened, and the lantern dropped into her arms.

A goose flapped and tipped the stool onto its side.

Ursula worked to resolve the slip, pushing the stool against the gatepost.

She raised the lantern again and tied it below the branch.

Soft red light now clearly marked the gate.

Drums rolled again while petals drifted across the quiet street.

Ursula stepped carefully off the wooden stool onto ground.

粗麻繩緊貼在烏蘇拉的小手指上。

她站在鎮上石砌的低矮城門旁。

今天下午的工作看起來相當明確。

她打算在黃昏前掛起十盞紅燈籠。

道路那頭傳來鼓聲，暗示街上正有遊行。

傍晚的陽光溫熱了她腳邊帶塵的石板。

烏蘇拉爬上矮木凳，舉起第一盞燈籠。

忽然一陣風竄起，把輕巧的燈架吹走。

燈籠落在城門上的櫻桃枝。

樹枝下彎，燈籠在道路上方搖晃。

花瓣飄落，把凳面覆成一層粉紅。

她小心退後兩步。

她的目光落在花盆旁的一根竹竿。

她抓起那根光滑竹竿，相信它夠結實。

竹竿雖夠長，卻未能解開繩結。

艾瑪帶著她小小的鵝群停在一旁。

「這根舊把手很長。」艾瑪輕聲說。

籬笆邊斜靠著一支破掃把。

烏蘇拉用把手勾住繩結，慢慢旋轉。

繩子鬆了，燈籠落入她懷裡。

一隻鵝撲翅，掀倒了木凳。

烏蘇拉為解決這個意外，把凳子推靠在門柱。

她再度舉起燈籠，繫在枝條下方。

柔和的紅光清晰地為城門著色。

鼓聲再次響起，花瓣飄過寧靜的街道。

烏蘇拉小心地從木凳上踏回地面。