Clothespin Falls Into the Tub on a Warm Afternoon - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

It was a warm afternoon in the small laundry room by the yard.

Rosa lifted a heavy wet sheet and set it across the high line.

The line leaned under the new weight and then held still, dripping steadily.

A pen had leaked in a pocket earlier, so a white sock wore blue ink.

Warm steam met the cat’s whiskers, and a soft soap smell rested near the tubs.

The cat stepped in with light paws and paused beside a low wooden stool.

Its nose touched a cool, damp towel corner, and the corner slid down the stool.

The towel sagged and made the stool wobble once, then it settled again.

The cat gave a small tail flick and turned to a line of clothespins.

One clothespin balanced near a sock edge, so a light tap sent the sock into a slow spin.

Water rolled along the sock, a small click sounded, and tiny beats fell on the basin below.

The cat tested the basket rim with one paw, and the woven edge felt rough and springy.

The rim dipped under that small weight, and two dry socks slid toward the corner.

As the sock turned, the loose clothespin twisted on its hinge and dropped into the rinse tub.

The sound was a soft plop, and circles moved across the gray water.

Blue from the old ink stain tinted the cloth near the splash for a breath.

Rosa bent and fished the clothespin out, then set it to dry on the table.

She lifted another wet corner, and the line leaned again, then rose a little as drops left.

The cat watched the new tilt and sniffed the rim where the socks had gathered.

One last drop slid off the turning sock and hit the tub’s edge.

那是個溫暖的午後，在院子旁的小洗衣間。

Rosa 把一條又重又濕的床單提起，搭在高高的繩子上。

繩子在新重量下傾斜，然後定住，穩穩滴著水。

先前有一支筆在口袋裡漏了墨，所以一隻白襪子帶著藍色墨漬。

溫熱的水汽撫過牠的鬍鬚，淡淡的皂香停在水盆旁。

那隻貓輕腳走了進來，在一張矮木凳旁停下。

牠的鼻子碰到一角冰涼又潮的毛巾，那一角沿著凳子慢慢滑下。

毛巾下垂，讓凳子晃了一下，接著又安穩回位。

牠的尾巴輕輕一甩，轉向一排衣夾。

一個衣夾在一隻襪子的邊緣旁邊保持平衡，所以輕輕一碰就讓襪子慢慢旋轉。

水沿著襪子滾動，一聲輕響傳來，細小的水點落在下方的水盆。

牠用一隻爪子試了試籃緣，編織的邊緣粗糙又有彈性。

籃緣在那一點重量下往下沉，兩隻乾襪子一起朝角落滑去。

襪子轉著轉著，那個鬆動的衣夾在鉸接處一扭，掉進清水盆。

一聲輕輕的啵嗒傳開，圓圈在灰色的水面擴散。

舊墨漬的藍色染著濺水附近的布面，一閃即過。

Rosa 俯身把衣夾撈起來，放在桌上晾乾。

她再提起另一個濕角，繩子又傾了一下，水珠離開時又抬高了一點。

那隻貓看著新的傾斜，嗅了嗅襪子堆著的籃緣。

最後一滴水從旋轉的襪子滑下，碰了一下水盆邊。