Rice on the Cellar Tray Shifts Under a Paw - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Hartley opened the cellar door and stepped down the wide, steady stairs.

Cool air touched his wrists, and a dry, dusty smell sat near the steps.

A cat padded after him and chose a perch on the middle stone.

A small loft shelf ran by the beams and held light boxes and tins.

Hartley rested his hand on the rail, then set a shallow tray on the floor.

He poured a line of sand into the tray, and the grains slid and settled.

He shook the edge, and a soft mound grew, then broke into a lower pile.

He found a sieve, gave it a small spin, and sifted flour in a pale cloud.

Fine dust landed on his sleeve and left a white map across the dark cloth.

A tangle of twine lay in a basket, and he lifted it to the loft shelf.

He tipped a jar of rice; it paused, then trickled in a quick, small tide.

He pinched some salt and let it scatter in thin paths over the sand.

A few pebbles rolled from a tin, touched the rice, and clicked like tiny marbles.

The cat stepped down, pressed one paw on the tray, and the rice slid sideways.

A ring of grains began to spin around a pebble and slowed to a stop.

Hartley kept still; scattered salt formed lines beside the soft paw print.

He set the tray back on the shelf and brushed flour from his palm.

Hartley打開地窖的門，沿著寬而穩的階梯走下去。

涼意碰到他的手腕，台階附近飄著乾燥的灰塵味。

一隻貓跟在他後面，用軟步走著，在中間那塊石階上停住。

橫梁旁有一個高起的木架，上面放著幾個輕的盒子和鐵罐。

Hartley把手搭在扶手上，接著把一個淺托盤放到地上。

他把一條細線般的沙倒進托盤，砂粒滑動後停住。

他輕晃托盤邊緣，一個柔軟的小丘冒起來，又塌成較低的堆。

他拿起篩子輕輕一轉，細粉像淡淡的雲一樣篩落。

細粉落在他的袖子上，在深色的布面留下白白的紋路。

籃子裡躺著一團細繩，他把它拿起來放到高木架上。

他傾斜一罐米；米先停在出口，接著像小小的急潮一樣細細流下。

他捏了一些鹽，讓它在沙面上散成細細的路。

幾顆小石子從鐵罐裡滾出，碰到米粒，發出像小玻璃珠一樣的喀聲。

那隻貓走下來，把一隻爪子按在托盤上，米粒便向一側滑開。

一圈米粒繞著一顆小石子開始旋轉，然後慢慢停下。

Hartley保持不動；散落的鹽在柔軟的爪印旁邊排成幾道細線。

他把托盤放回架上，並把手心上的粉拂掉。