The Last Pellet at the Shaded Corner of the Pond - 適合中高級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

The stone railing rasped against Ines's palms, cool and chalk-dry with tiny grains lodged in the seams.

A bright koi broke the dark surface in the shaded corner of the shallow pond, releasing a damp, leafy smell. The paper cup in her hand breathed warm cereal and sea-salt scents, the pellets rough as dry beans. Ursula, sketchbook open on her lap, said, "Ink and pond make a strange smell today," and kept drawing. Beyond the path, a quercus drifted a tea-bitter scent, as if acorns had cracked open somewhere in the grass. Earlier, the dispenser’s crank had turned; its rotation shook down a dusty, kelp-like smell into the waiting cup. A gust rolled across the pond with a cool reed taste, and the cup tilted, scattering a few pellets along the rail. Each one tapped stone, then paused under a bloom of flower-honey, before plunging with a quick plip into green water. Fish mouths ringed the sound, the air tasting of wet limestone and mild algae, while a large shadow held still beneath leaves. Her sleeve drew taut as she lifted the cup again, and her breath picked up a dry grain taste. One pellet arced toward the lily pads and landed on a leaf, where nothing but a green, sappy smell rose.

Now Ines aimed at the shaded corner’s slow fish, measuring a soft throw toward the darker patch under the willow. Wind pressed a cool reed taste against her cheek, and the lob flattened, sending pellets skimming toward the fountain’s churn. They soaked fast, gave off a stale cereal smell, and began sinking where small mouths scattered under the fizzy splash. In the interim, she tapped a single pellet onto bare water, and smaller fish surged with a faint mud taste. The shadow stayed back until the surface calmed; when it rose, its mouth worked the softened piece several careful times. Moisture darkened the paper rim; the seam softened, and a wet line ran down her fingers with a cardboard taste. She set the cup flat on dry stone, kept one pellet in her palm, and waited as the sweet air steadied. Across the pond, a visitor shook a paper cup; the dry rattle blended with the fountain and the powdery bushes. Ines lowered her hand above the rail and let the last pellet fall beside the rising koi in the shade.

石欄在伊內絲的手心下摩擦，冰涼而帶粉粉的乾澀感，細小砂粒卡在縫隙裡。

一尾亮橘色的錦鯉在陰影角落的淺水面破水而出，帶起一股潮濕又帶葉味的氣息。她手中的紙杯散出溫熱的穀物味與海鹽味，顆粒像乾豆般粗糙。烏蘇拉把素描本攤在膝上，說：「今天墨水跟池水的味道真特別。」然後繼續畫。小徑外的一株櫟樹飄來像茶湯般微苦的氣味，彷彿有橡實在草地某處裂開。稍早她轉過投幣機的把手；那一下轉動震落帶著海藻味的乾粉香氣，灑進等著的紙杯。涼涼的簍草味隨一陣風拂過池面，紙杯一歪，幾顆飼料散到欄桿上。每一顆先敲到石面，在花團似的甜香下停一下，接著發出「啵」的一聲跳入綠水。魚嘴在聲音周圍張開，空氣裡帶著濕石灰和淡藻的味道；葉下那道大的陰影依然不動。她再次抬起紙杯，衣袖繃得緊緊的，呼吸裡多了一絲乾穀粉的氣味。有一顆劃向睡蓮，卻落在葉面上，只升起一點青綠、帶汁水的氣味。

此時伊內絲把目標放在陰影角落那條動作慢的魚，估量著往柳蔭下較深色水面的一記輕拋。風裡的蘆感涼味貼上她的臉，拋物線被壓平，顆粒滑向噴泉翻攪之處。它們很快吸水，散出一股陳穀味，開始在發泡的水花下沉落，小魚的嘴在那裡分散。其間空檔，她在空水面輕點一顆，幾尾小魚帶著淡淡泥味湧上。水面平靜後，那道陰影才上浮；牠的口一口一口地處理那塊變軟的飼料。紙杯邊緣被水沾黑，封口變軟，一道濕痕帶著紙板味沿著她的手指滑下。她把紙杯平放在乾石上，留下一顆在掌心，等待花香空氣在柳樹旁穩定下來。池對岸，一位遊客搖了搖紙杯；乾乾的顆粒聲和噴泉、粉粉的花香混在一起。伊內絲把手停在欄桿上方，讓最後一顆飼料落在陰影裡正上浮的錦鯉身旁。