Miss Brill

Meskipun cuaca begitu cerah benderang—langit biru bertabur kilau keemasan dan bintik-bintik cahaya besar serupa anggur putih tumpah ruah di atas Jardins Publiques—Miss Brill senang karena ia telah memutuskan untuk memakai syal bulunya.

Although it was so brilliantly fine—the blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques—Miss Brill was glad that she had decided on her fur.

Udara tidak bergerak, tetapi saat Anda membuka mulut terasa sedikit hawa dingin, seperti rasa dingin dari segelas air es sebelum Anda meneguknya, dan sesekali sehelai daun melayang jatuh—entah dari mana, dari langit.

The air was motionless, but when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip, and now and again a leaf came drifting—from nowhere, from the sky.

Miss Brill mengangkat tangannya dan menyentuh bulunya. Makhluk kecil yang manis! Senang sekali rasanya menyentuhnya lagi. Ia telah mengeluarkannya dari kotak sore tadi, menepis bubuk kapur barus, menyikatnya sampai bersih, dan mengusap mata kecil yang kusam itu hingga hidup kembali.

Miss Brill put up her hand and touched her fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again. She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth-powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes.

“Apa yang telah terjadi padaku?” kata mata kecil yang sedih itu. Oh, manis sekali melihat mata itu kembali mengedip padanya dari atas selimut bulu merah!... Namun hidungnya, yang terbuat dari semacam bahan tiruan hitam, sama sekali tidak kukuh. Hidung itu pasti pernah terbentur.

“What has been happening to me?” said the sad little eyes. Oh, how sweet it was to see them snap at her again from the red eiderdown!... But the nose, which was of some black composition, wasn’t at all firm. It must have had a knock, somehow.

Tidak apa-apa—sedikit olesan lilin segel hitam bila saatnya tiba—bila benar-benar perlu.... Dasar nakal! Ya, ia benar-benar merasa seperti itu terhadapnya. Makhluk nakal kecil yang menggigit ekornya tepat di dekat telinga kirinya.

Never mind—a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came—when it was absolutely necessary.... Little rogue! Yes, she really felt like that about it. Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear.

Ia bisa saja melepasnya dan meletakkannya di pangkuannya lalu membelainya. Ia merasakan kesemutan di tangan dan lengannya, tetapi ia mengira itu akibat berjalan kaki.

She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap and stroked it. She felt a tingling in her hands and arms, but that came from walking, she supposed.

Dan saat ia bernapas, sesuatu yang ringan dan sedih—bukan, tidak persis sedih—sesuatu yang lembut terasa bergerak di dadanya.

And when she breathed, something light and sad—no, not sad, exactly—something gentle seemed to move in her bosom.

Ada banyak orang yang keluar sore ini, jauh lebih banyak daripada hari Minggu lalu. Dan korps musik terdengar lebih keras dan lebih ceria. Itu karena Musim telah dimulai.

There were a number of people out this afternoon, far more than last Sunday. And the band sounded louder and gayer. That was because the Season had begun.

Sebab meskipun korps musik bermain sepanjang tahun pada hari Minggu, di luar musim suasananya tidak pernah sama. Rasanya seperti seseorang yang bermain musik hanya dengan keluarga yang mendengarkan; mereka tidak peduli bagaimana mereka bermain jika tidak ada orang asing yang hadir.

For although the band played all the year round on Sundays, out of season it was never the same. It was like some one playing with only the family to listen; it didn’t care how it played if there weren’t any strangers present.

Bukankah pemimpin musik itu juga mengenakan mantel baru? Ia yakin mantel itu baru. Lelaki itu menghentak-hentakkan kakinya dan mengepakkan tangannya seperti ayam jantan yang hendak berkokok, dan para pemain musik yang duduk di rotunda hijau menggembungkan pipi mereka serta menatap tajam ke arah lembaran musik.

Wasn’t the conductor wearing a new coat, too? She was sure it was new. He scraped with his foot and flapped his arms like a rooster about to crow, and the bandsmen sitting in the green rotunda blew out their cheeks and glared at the music.

Kini terdengar alunan seruling kecil—sangat indah!—seuntai tetesan bening yang berkilau. Ia yakin bagian itu akan diulang. Dan memang diulang; ia mengangkat kepalanya dan tersenyum.

Now there came a little “flutey” bit—very pretty!—a little chain of bright drops. She was sure it would be repeated. It was; she lifted her head and smiled.

Hanya dua orang yang duduk bersamanya di bangku “istimewa” miliknya: seorang pria tua yang gagah mengenakan mantel beludru, tangannya bertumpu pada tongkat jalan besar berukir, dan seorang wanita tua bertubuh besar yang duduk tegak, dengan gulungan rajutan di atas celemek bersulam miliknya. Mereka tidak berbicara.

Only two people shared her “special” seat: a fine old man in a velvet coat, his hands clasped over a huge carved walking-stick, and a big old woman, sitting upright, with a roll of knitting on her embroidered apron. They did not speak.

Hal ini mengecewakan, karena Miss Brill selalu menanti-nantikan percakapan.

This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation.

Ia merasa dirinya telah menjadi sangat ahli dalam mendengarkan seolah-olah ia tidak mendengarkan, dalam menyelami kehidupan orang lain sebentar saja saat mereka mengobrol di dekatnya.

She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn’t listen, at sitting in other people’s lives just for a minute while they talked round her.