情緒多變可以幫助我們適應瞬息萬變的世界

Moody1 people are often baffling to those of us with steadier emotions.

喜怒無常的人常常令情緒穩定的人感到困惑。

But scientists argue that changing moods - as seen in sulking teenagers, grumpy spouses2, or bad-tempered3 parents - serve an important purpose.

Rather than being a weakness, they are nature's way to of helping4 us adapt to an ever changing world. So when times are good and spirits are high, we take more risks at a time they are likely to be rewarded.

And when times are tough, sulking can help us conserve5 our energy.

To take a human example, a stock market trader who makes a successful deal becomes more optimistic about the outcome of his next transaction.

He is then likely to take more risks - as he becomes more optimistic things will go in his or her favour.

The increase in risk taking allows him to make maximum gains at a time when risk taking is most likely to pay off.

This holds true when a variety of different events have an underlying6 connection, the authors argue.

1 moody

adj.心情不穩的，易怒的，喜怒無常的

參考例句：

He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷於憂鬱的沉默中。

I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我決不會和那女孩結婚的。她太易怒了。

2 spouses

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名詞複數 )

參考例句：

Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校園裏和社區裏有配偶可做的工作。 來自辭典例句

An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相當大一部分婦女——特別在高收入階層——並不很了解他們丈夫的薪金。 來自辭典例句

3 bad-tempered

adj.脾氣壞的

參考例句：

He grew more and more bad-tempered as the afternoon wore on.隨著下午一點點地過去，他的脾氣也越來越壞。

I know he's often bad-tempered but really,you know,he's got a heart of gold.我知道他經常發脾氣，但是，要知道，其實他心腸很好。

4 helping

n.食物的一份&adj.幫助人的，輔助的

參考例句：

The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可憐的孩子們總是要求我把我的漢堡包再給他們一份。

By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 這樣一來, 他在某些時候,有助於競爭的加強。

5 conserve

vt.保存，保護，節約，節省，守恒，不滅

參考例句：

He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在紙張的兩麵都寫字以節省用紙。

Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你會用得著的！

6 underlying

adj.在下麵的，含蓄的，潛在的

參考例句：

The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小說隱含的主題是十分嚴肅的。

This word has its underlying meaning.這個單詞有它潛在的含義。