We certainly don't usually think of them as optimists, and yet beneath that gruff surface, they truly are much to their cost.

我們絕不會將他們歸類為樂觀主義，不過，在他們壞脾氣的表面下，他們確實付出了相當的代價。

Here is Fred. He is often furious.

這是 Fred ，他總是在發惱。

He's been married to his wife Jane for 15 years.

他和 Jane 已經結婚十五年了。

He's often told her not to interrupt him when he's reading the newspaper.

Fred 總是叮嚀 Jane 別在看報時打擾他。

She finds this prohibition annoying for some very good reasons.

就 Jane 而言，她則覺得這個規定非常討厭。

So, tonight she's asking him quite frankly when he'll get around to cooking dinner.

所以，今晚當 Fred 在看報時，Jane 直接問他什麼時候才要煮晚餐。

Now Fred is shouting because he is deep inside so hopeful.

Fred 發火咆哮，因為他的內心其實總是抱有期望。

Fred often loses small household items.

Fred 經常搞丟身邊的小東西。

Today he has lost his car keys.

今天掉的是車鑰匙。

He is furious. "Where the hell have they gone!" He asks his family in fury.

他很憤怒，他非常火大的問家人：「鑰匙到底在哪裡！」

Fred is shouting because he is deep inside so hopeful.

Fred 會大聲咆哮，是因為在內心深處他總是懷抱著期望。

Fred arrives at the airport. His flight is delayed by four hours.

Fred 到了機場後，他發現班機延誤四小時。

It's an outrage especially as he's one of the airline's premium passengers.

他火都來了，他可是航空公司的高級乘客。

He goes up to a young woman at the check-in desk and tells her exactly what he thinks.

他走向登機櫃台和一位年輕的小姐試圖理論。

Fred is shouting because he is deep inside so hopeful.

Fred 會咆哮是因為在內心深處，他總抱持著期望。

Despite all the evidence Fred keeps encountering, he stubbornly and devotedly maintains a faith in a world in which his partner understands him,

儘管一而再，再而三的發生類似的事情，Fred 還是固執的保有對這個世界的信念，期望他的另一半能夠理解他，

small household items don't go astray, airline schedules are more than a fiction.

身邊的小東西不要一直不見，航班時間可以準時。

All his experience stretching back many decades has not dampened the intensity of his crazed hopes and every time they're dashed, he screams.

他回想幾十年來他所經歷的事情並沒有減弱他那些瘋狂的希望，而每次的破滅也都讓他再度失控。

Fred will never be able to remove the frustrations of his life, but he could perhaps if he were wise with the help of philosophy learn to change what they mean to him.

Fred 永遠不能逃避生命中的挫折，他所能做的是學會聰明的去改變他的人生哲學。

He might learn to accept reality for the sadder thing it truly is.

或許就可以學著去接受現實生活中那些不愉快的事。

He might take on board a series of dark truths about existence that partners never understand one another very well,

接受人生一系列的黑暗面，像是你的另一半永遠不會真的多了解你，

that we're constantly losing things that matter to us, and that travel is filled with delays.

我們就是會不斷的遺失重要的東西，以及旅行中的延誤是再普通不過的事情。

More broadly, he might realize that life is outside of the odd brief sunny patch a sequence of disappointments, misunderstandings, sorrows, griefs, and eventually catastrophes.

接著他會理解到人生的美好只是短暫的綴飾，接踵而來的是一連串的失望、誤解、悲哀、不幸，甚至災難。

Fred could learn to get a lot less angry if only he learned to stamp on all his hopes more effectively.

Fred 其實可以不這麼易怒，只要他學會適時地去踩熄所有的期望。

Most of us are in many ways a little bit like Fred, but our agitation isn't permanent or unbudgeable.

大部份的我們或多或少都有 Fred 症狀，但這些令人激動的事並不是永久或無法改變的。

It's only the result of the sudden defeat of our expectations.

只不過是當我們的期望破滅所導致的結果。

So in order to grow reliably calmer, we need to get a lot less optimistic about how life might go.

因此，想要變得較為冷靜，我們必需對於人生抱持少一點的樂觀正面。

Pessimism is the cure for anger.

因為悲觀才是治癒憤怒的王道。