查了一下，应该是Bertrand Russell写的。
句子结构倒不复杂，
主干是Even an end.....may be pursued unwisely if it is inherently impossible for achievement.；which it would be noble to pursue if it were attainable作定语修饰end.
原文中这句话后面的一段可以帮助理解：Many men in past ages devoted their lives to a search for the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life. No doubt, if they could have found them, they would have conferred great benefits upon mankind, but as it was their lives were wasted.
哲人石或不死药，如果真的存在，是attainable的，那发现它们的人就为人类作出巨大贡献，他的行为就是noble的；但如果寻找哲人石或不死药是根本不可能完成的任务，属于inherently impossible for achievement，那么去找它们就是不明智的，unwisely；结果就会是罗素后面说的，去找的人 their lives were wasted，浪费生命。
原来看不懂那句译文，现在再回过头看，他表达的也大概也是这个意思。
句子结构倒不复杂，
主干是Even an end.....may be pursued unwisely if it is inherently impossible for achievement.；which it would be noble to pursue if it were attainable作定语修饰end.
原文中这句话后面的一段可以帮助理解：Many men in past ages devoted their lives to a search for the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life. No doubt, if they could have found them, they would have conferred great benefits upon mankind, but as it was their lives were wasted.
哲人石或不死药，如果真的存在，是attainable的，那发现它们的人就为人类作出巨大贡献，他的行为就是noble的；但如果寻找哲人石或不死药是根本不可能完成的任务，属于inherently impossible for achievement，那么去找它们就是不明智的，unwisely；结果就会是罗素后面说的，去找的人 their lives were wasted，浪费生命。
原来看不懂那句译文，现在再回过头看，他表达的也大概也是这个意思。
