Cat Causes Sand Spill on the Inked Press Block - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

“Fresh sheet here.”

Oswin eased the paper off the press and held it flat. The fine smell of wet ink mixed with warm wood hung around him. A striped cat crouched on the windowsill, its ears turning toward every clunk of the lever. Beside the press, three open tins waited. One held pale sand, another chalk dust, and the last coarse salt for cleaning rollers. The adult printer, Rosa, leaned over a block she had begun to carve at dawn. The design showed an arbor tangled with leaves. A second block, already dry, carried a geologist hammering rock. A third captured a wildlife photographer crouching behind grass. Each block rested on a scrap of muslin to keep the edges safe.

Curiosity tugged at Oswin's fingers. He lifted a pinch of sand and let it pour across a scrap sheet. The grains trickled like tiny beads and settled in a soft mound. The cat’s whiskers twitched at the quiet hiss. Next, he scooped chalk dust with the back of a spoon and tapped it over the sand. A pale cloud puffed up, coating his knuckles in a cool film. Wanting another texture, he tilted the salt tin. Angular crystals scattered, clicking against the wooden surface and sliding into small gaps between type blocks. The mixed pile shimmered under the skylight, growing wider with every sprinkle.

A sudden paw landed on the corner of the scrap. The small mammal pushed forward. The layered grains slid like a slow avalanche. They moved toward the inked arbor block still resting on the press bed. By the time Oswin reached it, sand, dust, and salt had already peppered the sticky ink. He tried to blow the surface clean, then brushed gently with the side of his hand. Some particles rolled away, yet many stayed, fixed inside the dark lines. Rosa lifted an eyebrow but said nothing. Oswin brushed again; specks of sand clung to his skin while the stubborn dots remained on the block. The carved vines waited, still freckled.

「新的紙張在這裡。」

奧斯溫小心將紙張從印刷機上取下，保持平整。濕墨與溫暖木頭的氣味在空氣中交融。條紋貓蹲在窗台上，耳朵隨著壓桿每一次咔噠聲轉動。印刷機旁擺著三個打開的罐子，一罐裝著細沙，另一罐是粉筆灰，最後一罐則放著用來清理滾筒的粗鹽。印刷師羅莎彎身看著她清晨開始雕刻的木版，圖案是一座纏滿藤蔓的拱亭。另一塊乾透的版畫刻著一位地質學家敲擊岩石，第三塊描繪野生動物攝影師蹲伏在草叢後。每塊木版都墊著棉布，避免邊角受損。

好奇心牽動奧斯溫的手指。他抓起一撮細沙，讓沙粒在廢紙上傾瀉；顆粒如小珠般滴落，堆成柔軟小丘。貓的鬍鬚因沙沙聲抖動。接著，他用匙背舀起粉筆灰，輕輕敲在沙面上，淡白粉霧升起，覆在指節上留下涼感。他再傾斜鹽罐，棱角晶粒散開，撞擊木面發出輕脆聲，滑入排字塊的縫隙。混合顆粒在天窗光線下閃爍，每次撒落都讓小堆更寬。

突然，一隻爪子落在廢紙角落。這隻小型哺乳動物往前一推，層層顆粒緩慢滑動，如小雪崩般流向仍在壓床上的拱亭印版。等奧斯溫趕到時，沙、粉、鹽已點綴在濕墨上。他試著吹走顆粒，再用手側輕刷。部分粒子滾落，但許多仍嵌在深色線條裡。羅莎挑了挑眉，沒有說話。奧斯溫又刷了一次；砂粒黏在他皮膚上，而頑固的小點仍留在印版上。刻著藤蔓的圖案靜靜等待，依舊佈滿斑點。