Rice Trails and a Corn Kernel in the Treehouse - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Xanthe and Niall sat in their low treehouse above the grassy yard.

An adult stood in the grass below and watched them from the shade.

Light flickered through leaves and moved soft shapes across the plain wooden floor.

Warm boards touched their knees, and the rope made a dry hush against wood.

A small bucket hung from a pulley, and a tin of rice sat nearby.

A tiny canvas pouch in the bucket held dry sand from the sandbox.

A paper cup held popcorn, with one bright kernel rolling near Niall's shoe.

A soft smell of pine sat in the warm air near the rail.

Xanthe tipped the tin and poured a thin stream over one floorboard.

The grains pattered, then settled into a small fan that reached the rail.

Niall let three kernels sift from his palm into the bucket, one by one.

Xanthe slid a flat stick through the rice, and the mound resisted her push.

Grains paused, then shifted and made a neat ridge along the plank's groove.

She tried again at a different angle, and the ridge broke and scattered.

They traded tools, and rice made a new path under Niall's steady hand.

Next, Niall held a card and let rice trickle down the rail.

Xanthe pinched the pouch and poured sand in a thin thread across the rice.

The sand sifted first, and the rice settled behind it in a short mound.

Some grains slipped through a thin gap and drew a pale stripe on the wall.

A dot of pine sap began to seep beside the stripe and caught chalk dust.

Niall touched it and pulled back quickly when the spot felt tacky and slow.

He rubbed his finger on the rail, and two grains jumped and stuck there.

One bright kernel skittered across a board, slipped into the bucket, and clicked.

Xanthe breathed out, then nudged the lone piece deeper with the flat stick.

Xanthe 和 Niall 坐在低矮的樹屋裡，樹下是草地。

一位大人在下面的草地上站著，待在陰影裡看著他們。

光線穿過樹葉閃動，在素木地板上移出柔和的形狀。

溫熱的木板碰著他們的膝蓋，繩子在木頭上發出乾澀的沙沙聲。

一個小桶掛在滑輪上，旁邊放著一罐米。

小桶裡有一只小帆布袋，裝著從沙坑帶來的乾沙。

一個紙杯裝著爆米花，有一顆亮黃的玉米粒在 Niall 的鞋邊滾動。

靠近欄杆的暖空氣裡有淡淡的松香味。

Xanthe 稍微傾斜米罐，把一條細流倒在一塊地板上。

那些米粒沙沙落下，然後鋪成一把小扇形，直到欄杆邊。

Niall 讓三顆玉米粒從手心篩入小桶，一顆接一顆。

Xanthe 用一根扁平的小棒推過米堆，那座小丘頂住了她的推力。

米粒先停住，接著移動，在木板的縫槽邊形成整齊的脊線。

她換了個角度再推，那道脊線就斷開並四散。

他們交換了工具，Niall 的手在前面，米又畫出一條新路。

接著，Niall 把一張卡片立起來，讓米沿著欄杆細細流下。

Xanthe 捏著小袋口，把沙子拉成一條細線，灑到米上。

沙子先篩下去，米則在後面堆成一段較厚的小丘。

有些顆粒從細縫滑下，在牆面上拉出一道淡淡的線。

一點松樹汁在那道線旁邊開始滲出，又黏住了粉筆灰。

Niall 用手指碰了一下，發現那處黏黏的，就立刻收回手。

他在欄杆上來回揉了揉手指，兩粒米跳起來又黏在上面。

一顆亮黃的玉米粒在木板上滑行，溜進小桶裡，發出一聲輕響。

Xanthe 吐出一口氣，接著用扁平的小棒把那顆小東西往裡推。