A few years ago, I woke cotton-mouthed and clammy from a dream about a woman I used to know. I had not seen her in person since high school graduation, but once or twice a year, we met in a dream. In this one, we were back in a room with old teachers and friends, where I had to give a talk. I arrived late, half-dressed, unsure what to say. This woman, I’ll call her Alison, sat in front, smirking and perfectly made-up. The tilt of her eyes suggested I was not only dumb, but mean. How had she mastered the art of both villainy and victimhood so well? And how, in real life, did she now see me?
几年前，我从一个梦中醒来，梦见一个我曾经认识的女人，口干舌燥，浑身湿漉漉的。自从高中毕业后，我就再也没有见过她，但每年一两次，我们会在梦中相遇。在这个梦里，我们回到了一个有老教师和朋友的房间，我需要在那里发表演讲。我迟到了，衣衫不整，不知道该说些什么。这个女人，我称她为艾莉森，坐在前排，面带微笑，妆容完美。她眼神的倾斜暗示着我不仅愚蠢，还刻薄。她是如何如此精通恶棍和受害者的艺术呢？而在现实生活中，她又是如何看待我的呢？