Ulysses - Chapter 3
Ulysses - Bab 3
Stephen walked alone along Sandymount Strand, the tide retreating before him. He closed his eyes, testing his perception of reality. Could he navigate the world through sound and touch alone? His boots crunched on shells and pebbles, each step a small adventure into darkness.
Stephen berjalan sendirian di pantai Sandymount. Air pasang surut di depan matanya. Dia memejamkan mata, menguji persepsinya tentang kenyataan. Bisakah dia menavigasi dunia hanya dengan suara dan sentuhan? Setiap langkah sepatu botnya di atas kerang dan kerikil menjadi petualangan kecil dalam kegelapan.
Opening his eyes again, he saw the vast expanse of beach stretching endlessly. The sea whispered its eternal secrets, indifferent to human concerns. Stephen thought of philosophy, of Berkeley's theories about perception and existence. If no one observed the world, would it cease to exist?
Ketika membuka mata lagi, dia melihat hamparan pasir yang luas. Laut membisikkan rahasia abadi, acuh tak acuh terhadap kekhawatiran manusia. Stephen merenungkan filsafat, teori Berkeley tentang persepsi dan keberadaan. Jika tidak ada yang mengamati dunia, apakah dunia akan berhenti ada?
A dead dog lay on the sand, bloated and rotting. Stephen examined it with morbid curiosity, thinking of death and decay. Everything returns to the earth eventually. His mother's body, now cold in the grave, was becoming part of the soil, part of the endless cycle.
Seekor anjing mati terbaring di pasir, kembung dan membusuk. Stephen mengamatinya dengan rasa ingin tahu yang mengerikan, memikirkan kematian dan pembusukan. Segala sesuatu akhirnya kembali menjadi debu. Tubuh ibunya juga, sekarang di kuburan yang dingin, menjadi bagian dari tanah, bagian dari siklus tanpa akhir.
He picked up a piece of driftwood and wrote words in the sand, knowing the tide would erase them. All human endeavors were similarly temporary, he reflected. Art, literature, philosophy—all would be forgotten eventually, swallowed by time's relentless advance.
Dia mengambil sepotong kayu apung dan menulis kata-kata di pasir, tahu bahwa pasang akan menghapusnya. Semua aktivitas manusia bersifat sementara seperti ini, pikirnya. Seni, sastra, filsafat, semuanya akan dilupakan, ditelan oleh waktu yang tak kenal ampun.
A couple walked past in the distance, and Stephen felt his isolation keenly. He was always alone, always separate from others. His thoughts were too complex, too dark for ordinary conversation. Who could understand his grief, his guilt, his desperate search for meaning?
Sepasang kekasih lewat di kejauhan, dan Stephen merasakan kesepiannya dengan pedih. Dia selalu sendirian, selalu terpisah dari orang lain. Pikirannya terlalu rumit, terlalu gelap untuk percakapan biasa. Siapa yang akan mengerti kesedihannya, rasa bersalahnya, pencariannya yang putus asa akan makna?
The waves continued their rhythmic assault on the shore, each one erasing a bit more of the beach. Stephen watched them, hypnotized by their repetition. Nature cared nothing for human suffering. The sea would continue long after he was gone, long after everyone was forgotten.
Ombak menghantam pantai secara ritmis, menghapus pantai sedikit demi sedikit. Stephen menatap seperti terhipnotis oleh pengulangan itu. Alam tidak peduli dengan penderitaan manusia. Laut akan tetap ada setelah dia pergi, lama setelah semua orang dilupakan.