Magnifying Glass and a Smudge in the Print - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

The press stood two arm-lengths from the front window in the shop.

A long table ran along the wall, the magnifying glass near its far edge.

Sullivan rolled ink on the type and set a clean sheet on the bed.

He pulled the lever; the heavy frame added pressure and gave a soft clunk.

Iris sorted paper near the window and tapped a letter block in its tray.

The metal felt cold under her finger, and the corners of paper felt crisp.

Sunlight fell across the table, and the lens cast a bright spot on the wall.

The light was adequate for checking edges, and it moved a slow inch.

A small crowd passed the window, and stripes of shadow crossed the moving spot.

"That glow jumped," Iris said, as Sullivan lifted the fresh print with two fingers.

Wet ink shone under it, and a brief flash slid into Iris's eyes.

Her hand twitched, and the sheet brushed another edge, leaving a faint smudge.

The paper also blocked the beam for a breath, and the bright spot split.

Sullivan set the smudged sheet aside and checked the next line of type.

A sample card with neat handwriting lay under the lens and showed tiny lines.

Iris tried to lift the corner to straighten it, then let the card drop.

The smudge stayed on the edge after her quick rub, and gray ink marked her thumb.

Outside feet kept moving, and the bright spot kept sliding along the wall.

這台壓印機離前窗大約兩個手臂的距離。

沿著牆面擺著一張長桌，放大鏡靠近遠邊。

Sullivan 在字模上滾上油墨，並把一張乾淨的紙放到版臺。

他拉下手柄；厚重的框架加上壓力，發出輕輕一聲咔噠。

Iris 在窗邊分類紙張，並輕敲放在匣中的一塊字模。

冰冷的金屬貼在她的指尖，紙張的邊角摸起來很硬挺。

陽光落在桌上，鏡片把一道亮點投到牆上。

這道光線足夠用來檢查邊緣，而且它慢慢移動一小段距離。

一小群人走過窗前，條狀陰影穿過那個移動的亮點。

「那道光跳了一下，」Iris 說，Sullivan 用兩根手指提起剛印好的紙。

濕的油墨在下面發亮，一道短暫的亮光滑進 Iris 的眼裡。

她的手抖了一下，紙邊掃過另一張邊緣，留下淡淡一抹汙跡。

這張紙也短暫擋住了光束，亮點分成了兩個。

Sullivan 把有汙痕的紙放到一旁，檢查下一行字模。

一張樣卡上有整齊的手寫字，躺在鏡片下，細細的筆劃清楚可見。

Iris 試著提起一角把它弄直，然後又讓卡片落回去。

她快速一抹之後，邊上的汙跡還在，而她拇指上留下灰色油墨。

外頭的腳步繼續移動，而亮點沿著牆面繼續滑行。