Seeds on the Fountain Rim Stick in the Mist - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Zadie sat with Lyra on the wide stone rim of the fountain.

She held a small paper cup of birdseed and tilted it the same easy way. Seed poured in a thin line, then made tiny piles along the dry part. Cool spray touched the back of her hand, and the water kept a low murmur. Coins lay dull under the shallow water, and pebbles ringed the floor of the basin. Pigeons bobbed near the rim but kept space, their toes leaving brief dry marks. The stone edge showed smooth wear, and fine dust sat in tiny grooves near her knee. A pale ring stained the stone from water that dried earlier today. On the paving by her shoe, a dark dot of tar held grit and a small feather.

Mist drifted closer, and a cool tickle reached her throat before she noticed the damp seeds. She cleared it softly and moved the cup back a little. She raised her arm to ward off the spray and poured a thinner line. The paper at the rim turned soft, and the small cup began to wobble in her grip. A fold gave way, and a stripe of seed slid down the curve and scattered. Some grains tipped into the basin and settled between coins and smooth pebbles. Others stuck in a dark, wet stripe that ran along the stone. Zadie steadied the cup with both hands and kept pouring small piles farther from the mist. Grains clung to her damp sleeve, and one sat on the tar dot with dust. Water moved on, pigeons pecked at easy distance, and the stripe of seed stayed. One last grain rolled along the rim and settled.

Zadie 和 Lyra 坐在噴泉寬寬的石邊。

她握著一小杯鳥食，手腕以熟練的角度輕輕一傾。種子細細流成一條線，接著在較乾的地方堆成小堆。涼涼的水霧碰到她手背，水聲低低地持續著。淺水下的硬幣顯得黯暗，盆底一圈小石子圍著。鴿子在邊緣點頭走動，仍保留一段距離，腳趾留下一道短短的乾痕。石邊磨得很平滑，膝邊的小凹槽裡落著細細的灰塵。今天稍早蒸發的水在石面上留下了一圈淡淡的痕。她鞋旁的鋪石上有一點黑色柏油，黏住了砂粒和一小根羽毛。

水霧飄得更近，一股涼意先碰到她的喉嚨，她才看見種子變得潮濕。她輕輕清了清喉嚨，讓紙杯往後退一點。她抬起手臂擋開水霧，倒出更細的一條線。杯緣的紙變軟了，小杯子在她手裡開始微微搖晃。一處摺痕鬆開，一道種子順著弧面滑下去並散開。一些顆粒翻進盆裡，停在硬幣與光滑小石之間。另外一些黏成一道又暗又濕的痕，沿著石面延展。Zadie 以雙手托穩杯子，繼續在離水霧更遠的地方倒出小堆。細粒黏在她微濕的袖口上，也有一顆落在柏油點上，貼著灰塵。水照常流動，鴿子在不近不遠處啄食，那道種子痕仍留在石邊。最後一粒沿著石邊滾過去，停住。