What Hid Under the Deck - 適合中高級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Julian’s Saturday endeavor began as a simple cleanup of the back deck. The timber still glistened; overnight rain had been heavy, and several planks had been warped by the water. Thin fog softened the fence, distant traffic hummed, and a sharp pine scent drifted through the damp air. A striped cat crouched on the railing, ears twisting toward every creak. Julian swept leaves into piles, yet each gust scattered them across the boards again. When the broom snagged on a loose plank, his knees bent; he pressed his weight to push it back, but swollen wood refused to settle.

He switched to a metal scraper, tapping the edge along swollen seams. If he had known the decking screws would spin uselessly, he would have fetched the drill first. Instead, fingers strained against the screwdriver while the striped cat stepped closer to scavenge a breadcrumb left from breakfast. The tool slipped; the plank jerked, and a rusty nail bounced toward the cat, startling it into a jump that landed squarely on the loose board. The sudden weight cracked the damp seal; water squeezed out, and the board rose by a finger’s width. The plank had been hidden under newer boards when the deck was repaired years earlier, and now Julian slid fingertips beneath the edge for leverage.

The board finally lifted with a low groan, revealing a dark gap. Inside, a small rusted tin had been wedged between joists; it smelled of old metal and damp soil. Julian paused to savor the earthy odor, then brushed mud from the lid. The cat circled, tail twitching. He pried the container open, expecting water or rotten wood. Instead, nothing lay inside except a single smooth marble, still bright despite the years. Rain began again, tapping softly, and fresh wind rolled the abandoned leaf piles across the planks. The rusted tin rested between the open boards.

朱利安的星期六原本只是想簡單整理後院平台。木板仍反著水光；昨夜的雨很大，幾塊木條已被水泡得變形。薄霧抹淡了籬笆，遠處車聲低低傳來，濕冷空氣裡飄著刺鼻松香。一隻虎斑貓蹲在欄杆上，耳朵隨每一下咯吱聲微動。朱利安把落葉掃成堆，可每一陣風又把它們吹回板面。掃把勾住一塊鬆動木條時，他屈膝用身體壓下去，腫脹的木頭卻紋絲不動。

他換上金屬刮刀，沿著脹起的縫隙輕敲。如果早知道螺絲會空轉，他大概一開始就拿電鑽了。手指緊扭螺絲起子時，虎斑貓走近，想撿拾早餐掉落的麵包屑。工具一滑，木條猛然彈起，一根生鏽釘子彈向貓，牠受驚跳起，正好落在那塊鬆動木板上。突然的重量擠出積水，木板翹起一指寬。幾年前整修時這塊板原本被新板壓住，如今朱利安把指尖探進縫裡試著撬起。

木板終於發出低沉呻吟，被抬起後露出黑暗空隙。一只生鏽小鐵盒卡在樑間，散著陳舊金屬與濕土味。朱利安停下，嗅了嗅這股氣味，再把蓋子上的泥拍落。貓繞圈，尾巴輕抽。朱利安撬開盒子，本以為裡頭只剩積水或爛木屑，卻只有一顆光滑彈珠，多年後仍閃亮。雨又落下，輕敲木面，新的風把還未收拾的葉堆推過平台。生鏽鐵盒靜靜躺在打開的木板之間。