变身  

站在镜子前，母亲对我说她很丑
说药物使她发胖了。我笑着把她
送回床上。母亲对我说她很丑
用她常挂在嘴边的“没有女人会爱你”一样的语调
我看她拉拽着自己的身体，那是我的。我沉重的乳房
我令人失望的身材。她要了一碗素汤
却变成灌进我喉咙的一杯醋。
每天放学后，我都会跪在她面前
脱掉衣服，请她标记我的进展
我想说的是，我也很想变得好看
为了她。在我的梦里，我很瘦，即使不瘦，也在变得更好。
我告诉母亲，她仍然很美，她笑了。房间里
很多苍蝇。它们聚成一个小男孩的形状，将妈妈带回
到镜子前，但我的影子还在那里。

作者 / [美国]阮晓明
翻译 / 流马

Changeling  

Standing in front of a mirror, my mother tells me she is ugly
says the medication is making her fat. I laugh & walk her
back to the bed. My mother tells me she is ugly in the same voice
she used to say no woman could love you & I watch her
pull at her body & it is mine. My heavy breast.
My disappointing shape. She asks for a bowl of plain broth
& it becomes the cup of vinegar she would pour down my throat.
Everyday after school, I would kneel before her.
I would remove my clothes & ask her to mark the progress.
It’s important that I mention, I truly wanted to be beautiful
for her. In my dreams I am thin & if not thin, something better.
I tell my mother she is still beautiful & she laughs. The room fills
with flies. They gather in the shape of a small boy. They lead her
back to the mirror, but my reflection is still there.

BY HIEU MINH NGUYEN