Sand Slips Under the Dock Stool - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

"Lift the stool closer," Lars called.

Rafael slid the three-legged seat until its feet touched the rail. A small clay jar rested on the round top, its surface warm from a wonderful stripe of late sun. Lars balanced a flat cork disc over the jar; a thin line of melted wax formed a soft connection between disc and rim. Behind them, a low discussion drifted from the repair shed, just steady breaths of voices and nothing more.

Below the pier, a narrow pool rose and fell inside shallow openings between dark stones. Each rise left a wet starfish clinging to a smooth rock, while each fall pulled water away and loosened the surrounding sand. Farther out, a gull floated on a rope-less dinghy, but the bird’s wings stayed still; only gravity and tide moved the little craft.

Lars bent to check the stool. The rear leg stood on compact sand, yet the front legs pressed a softer patch. "Try sliding the tile under the short leg," Rafael suggested. He lifted a spare ceramic shard and eased it beneath the edge. At the same moment, the pool emptied again. Sand under the front legs slipped, the stool tilted forward, and the jar wobbled. Water rushed back, pressed on the stones, and the starfish’s rock shifted lower; the creature slid but held fast. The returned water also packed fresh sand against the stool’s feet, stopping the lean before the jar toppled. A squeak sounded as the cork disc settled level.

Rafael pressed the tile flat. Lars eased his palm away from the rim.

「把凳子搬近一點。」拉斯喊道。

拉斐爾把三腳凳滑到扶手邊，凳腳貼住木欄。一個溫暖的陶罐放在圓形凳面上，傍晚陽光在罐身投下亮麗條紋。拉斯將一片平整的軟木片放在罐口上；一條融化的蠟線把軟木與罐緣黏接。修理棚裡傳來低聲交談，只聽得到平穩的呼吸似的聲音。

碼頭下方，窄小潮池在岩縫間起伏。潮水上漲時，濕滑的海星貼在光滑石塊上；潮水退去時，水流帶走周圍沙粒。更外側，一隻海鷗靜立在無繩小艇上，雙翼不動；只有重力與潮汐推動小艇。

拉斯彎身檢查凳子。後腳踩在結實沙面上，前腳卻壓著較鬆軟的部分。「把這片瓷片墊到短腳下吧。」拉斐爾建議。他拿起備用碎瓷片，輕推到凳腳下。就在此時，潮池再次放水。前腳下的沙子滑動，凳子前傾，陶罐搖晃。海水回流，擠壓石塊，海星所在的岩石下降一點；海星滑動，但仍牢牢附著。回流的水也把新沙緊壓到凳腳周圍，傾斜停止，陶罐沒有翻倒。軟木片發出吱聲，重新平衡。

拉斐爾把瓷片壓平。拉斯慢慢將手掌移離罐緣。