Sons and Lovers - Chapter 5
Anak dan Kekasih - Bab 5
Miriam Leivers lived on a farm near the village. She was a quiet, serious girl, deeply religious, with a love of nature and poetry that made her seem different from the other young women of the area.
Miriam Leivers tinggal di sebuah peternakan dekat desa. Dia adalah gadis yang pendiam dan serius, sangat religius, dengan kecintaan pada alam dan puisi yang membuatnya tampak berbeda dari wanita muda lainnya di daerah itu.
Paul met Miriam when he was walking in the countryside. She was sitting under a tree, reading a book. Something in her face, her stillness, her concentration, caught his attention.
Paul bertemu Miriam saat berjalan-jalan di pedesaan. Dia sedang duduk di bawah pohon, membaca buku. Ada sesuatu di wajahnya, ketenangannya, konsentrasinya, yang menarik perhatiannya.
They began to talk, and Paul was surprised to find how much they had in common. She understood his artistic interests, his love of beauty, his sensitive nature.
Mereka mulai berbicara, dan Paul terkejut menemukan bahwa mereka memiliki begitu banyak kesamaan. Dia mengerti minat seninya, kecintaannya pada keindahan, sifat sensitifnya.
"I have never met anyone like you," he said to her.
"Aku belum pernah bertemu orang sepertimu," katanya padanya.
Miriam was drawn to Paul as well. She saw in him a kindred spirit, someone who could understand her thoughts and feelings.
Miriam juga tertarik pada Paul. Dia melihat dalam dirinya belahan jiwa, seseorang yang bisa memahami pikiran dan perasaannya.
But their relationship was not simple. Miriam's mother did not approve of Paul. She thought the Morel family was beneath them, that her daughter deserved better.
Tetapi hubungan mereka tidak sederhana. Ibu Miriam tidak menyetujui Paul. Dia pikir keluarga Morel lebih rendah dari mereka, bahwa putrinya pantas mendapatkan yang lebih baik.
And Gertrude, Paul's mother, had her own concerns. She saw how Paul looked at Miriam, how he spoke of her with a strange intensity.
Dan Gertrude, ibu Paul, juga memiliki kekhawatirannya sendiri. Dia melihat cara Paul memandang Miriam, cara dia membicarakannya dengan intensitas yang aneh.
"She is not good enough for him," Gertrude decided. "She will hold him back."
"Dia tidak cukup baik untuknya," putus Gertrude. "Dia akan menahannya."
Both mothers tried to separate them, but Paul and Miriam were drawn together by something stronger than their families' opinions. They met secretly, walking in the countryside, talking about their hopes and dreams.
Kedua ibu mencoba memisahkan mereka, tetapi Paul dan Miriam tertarik satu sama lain oleh sesuatu yang lebih kuat daripada pendapat keluarga. Mereka bertemu secara rahasia, berjalan-jalan di ladang, berbicara tentang harapan dan impian mereka.
For the first time, Paul felt free from his mother's intense love. In Miriam's company, he could be himself, not just his mother's son.
Untuk pertama kalinya, Paul merasa bebas dari cinta ibunya yang intens. Saat bersama Miriam, dia bisa menjadi dirinya sendiri, bukan hanya putra ibunya.
But this freedom was fragile. The shadows of family disapproval hung over them, and Paul could feel his mother's displeasure even when he was far from home.
Tetapi kebebasan ini rapuh. Bayangan ketidaksetujuan keluarga membayangi mereka, dan Paul bisa merasakan ketidaksenangan ibunya bahkan ketika dia jauh dari rumah.