A Bucket, a Leaf, and the Wind Above the Creek - 適合中級的英文短篇故事，含中譯與發音

Tatum raised the small bucket, hand over hand, along the rope and wheel. Harriet stood under the platform with one palm on the safe wooden ladder. A loop of flax twine kept Tatum’s notebook closed on the deck boards. Cool air brushed her arms, and a green, woody smell rested under the branches. Below, the creek clicked over stones while faint ripples moved around a fallen stick. The rope felt dry and a little rough, and the bucket rose steadily. A thin bead of water clung under the bucket’s rim and caught light.

Then the wind grew across the leaves, and the deck gave a soft shift. A sharp smell of creek water mingled with sweet sap near the rail. Tatum kept pulling, but the bucket began to sway and to tap the post. She narrowed her stance, shortened each pull, and steadied the rope against her hip. Halfway up, a wide leaf sailed from a branch and dropped into the bucket. When the rim reached the rail, a wet edge pressed on the top sheet of paper. Tatum lifted the bundle out, and a brown streak showed across the page.

She slid the leaf between two pages to preserve its flat shape and pale veins. Harriet held one corner of the notebook while Tatum retied the twine. A green smear stayed on Tatum’s thumb, and the bucket’s lip stayed damp. Wind still moved the branches, and the creek kept its small, running sound. She looped the flax twine around the notebook and pulled it snug.

Tatum 一手接一手拉起小桶，讓繩子越過小輪子往上走。Harriet 站在平台下方，一手掌貼著安全的木梯。一圈亞麻細繩把 Tatum 的筆記本綁好，放在平台木板上。涼風掠過她的手臂，帶著綠意的木質氣味停在樹枝下。下方的小溪在石頭間發出輕輕的叩聲，細小波紋繞過一根倒下的枝條。繩子摸起來乾而略粗，小桶穩穩往上升。一小珠水掛在桶緣底下，接住了一點光。

接著風在葉面間增強，平台輕輕地晃了一下。欄杆附近，小溪水的清冽氣味和甜甜的樹汁味混在一起。Tatum 繼續拉，不過小桶開始左右擺動，還輕碰了一下立柱。她把站姿收窄，每一下拉得更短，並把繩子抵在髖側穩住。拉到一半時，一片寬大的葉子從枝頭滑下，落進了小桶。桶緣到達欄杆時，濕濕的葉邊壓在最上面那張紙上。Tatum 把整疊拿起來，頁面上出現一道棕色的痕跡。

她把那片葉子滑進兩張紙之間，保存它平坦的形狀和淡淡的葉脈。Harriet 扶住筆記本的一角，Tatum 重新把細繩綁好。Tatum 的拇指留著一抹綠色，桶緣也仍然溼潤。風還在推動枝條，小溪持續發出細細的流聲。她把亞麻細繩繞過筆記本，再拉緊。