Melting Frost Drips onto the Storeroom Birthday Cake - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Cool dust pressed between Eve's fingers when she pushed the storeroom door aside.

A sleepy bulb gave off a mild warmth that reached only the top shelves. Frost still clung to a narrow metal pipe near the ceiling, but tiny droplets trembled underneath. A dusty scent of dried cocoa drifted low to the floor, mixing with faint cardboard notes. Eve wanted to have fun storing the finished birthday cake before the surprise party began. She balanced a foil-covered tin on her hip and edged into the nearest aisle.

On the left, a wooden support beam caught a stripe of sunlight through the small window. The spot carried gentle warmth that seeped slowly through her cotton sleeve. Beside that beam, a grey finch fluttered in and settled on the frosty pipe. Its tiny body heat encouraged a faint hiss, and ice met the air, turning to steam. Eve set the tin on a shelf, then climbed a short ladder to fetch colored plates. The cold metal rung pressed through her shoe sole, sending a quick chill up her ankle. Below, a fresh droplet slid off the pipe and splashed onto the smooth tin lid. She gasped, "Are you lost, little one?" while covering the tin with her forearm.

The finch leapt farther along the pipe; more meltwater pattered onto a pile of paper cups. The top cup sagged, but the stack held because the wooden support caught the drip. Warm air in the room kept frost melting, and gentle taps continued along the shelf. Eve lowered the ladder, slid the plates into a plain box, and wiped stray beads away. She pressed foil tighter over the birthday cake, sealing its surface from the slow, warm drizzle. She nudged the tin into a low crate and folded the ladder flat against the wall.

伊芙推開儲物間的門時，涼涼的灰塵黏在指尖上。

昏黃的燈泡只把微弱的溫暖送到最上層架子。天花板邊的一根細金屬管仍覆著霜，但底下已聚著顫抖的小水珠。乾可可粉帶著的灰塵味在地板邊飄散，和淡淡的紙箱味混在一起。伊芙想讓存放好成品生日蛋糕的過程也變得有趣。她側著身，用髖部托住包著錫紙的烤盤，走進最近的走道。

左側，一根木頭支柱被小窗射入的陽光擦出一道亮痕。那一點溫度慢慢透過她的棉袖傳來。在支柱旁，一隻灰斑雀飛進來，落在結霜的管子上。牠細小的體溫催出輕輕的嘶聲，冰霜遇到空氣化成蒸氣。伊芙把烤盤放到架子上，再爬上一把矮梯去拿彩色紙盤。冰冷的金屬踏桿透過鞋底直上腳踝，送來一股迅速的寒意。下方，新落的水珠從管子邊滑下，濺到光滑的錫紙蓋上。她低呼：「小傢伙，你迷路了嗎？」同時用前臂護住烤盤。

斑雀沿管子跳遠幾步，更多融水滴到一疊紙杯上。最上面的杯口微微塌下，但整疊仍被木柱擋住不致倒下。室內溫暖的空氣持續融霜，輕輕的敲擊聲沿架子蔓延。伊芙收起梯子，把紙盤滑進普通紙箱，順手抹去殘留水珠。她把錫紙再次壓緊在生日蛋糕上，阻擋慢慢落下的溫暖水滴。最後，她把烤盤推進下層木箱，並把梯子平貼牆面摺好。