1.Most people would define optimism as endlessly happy, with a glass that’s perpetually half full.

【分析】这句话最难的就是with a glass that’s perpetually half full，可以翻译为“如同一个永远半满的杯子”。perpetually adv. 永恒地，持久地。
2.But that’s exactly the kind of false cheerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend.
【分析】that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend是定语从句修饰cheerfulness，exactly可以翻译为“恰好，正好”。
3.“Healthy optimism means being in touch with reality,” says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor.
【分析】a Harvard professor是Tal Ben-Shahar的同位语。optimism n. 乐观；乐观主义。be in touch with 有联系；与…有接触。
4.According to Ben-Shahar, realistic optimists are those who make the best of things that happen, but not those who believe everything happens for the best.
【分析】according to翻译为“根据本沙哈尔（的观点）”；后面的“are those who make the best of things that happen,but not those who believe everything happens for the best.”可以翻译为“努力让事情向好的一面变化，而不是相信事事自然会变好”，翻译时需要把make和believe的对比翻译出来。
5. When he feels down—say, after giving a bad lecture—he grants himself permission to be human.
【分析】say意思是“比如；例如”；grant意思是“容许，承认”
6.He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others.
【分析】remind提醒；使想起；every lecture每一个讲座；Nobel winner诺贝尔奖得主；less effective不太有效（effective的比较级）。

7.Next is reconstruction. He analyzes the weak lecture, learning lessons, for the future about what works and what doesn’t.
【分析】reconstruction重塑；再建，重建；改造；复兴。about what works and what doesn’t修饰future。
8.Finally, there is perspective, which involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one lecture really doesn’t matter.
【分析】“which…”从句修饰“perspective”。involve包含；牵涉；使陷于；潜心于。 acknowledge vt. 承认；答谢；报偿。本句话中的含义是“承认”。