英文についての質問です。
To understand Omphalos, we must begin with a paradox. The argument that strata and fossils were created all at once with the earth, and only present an illusion of elapsed time, might be easier to appreciate if its author had been an urban armchair theologian with no feeling or affection for nature's works. But how could a keen naturalist, who had spent days, nay months, on geological excursions, and who had studied fossils hour after hour, learning their distinctions and memorizing their names, possibly be content with the prospect that these objects of his devoted attention had never existed--were, indeed, a kind of grand joke perpetrated upon us by the Lord of All? (Adam's navel by Stephen Jay Gould)
1) The argument that strata and fossils were created all at once with the earth, and only present an illusion of elapsed time, might be easier to appreciate if its author had been an urban armchair theologian with no feeling or affection for nature's works.
might be easier to appreciateのappreciateの意味の取り方を教えてください。
認識する？高く評価する？いろいろあってピタッとくるものを選ぶのが難しいです。
また、might beの主語はThe argument that strata and fossilsですか？
if its author had been an urban armchair theologian with no feeling or affection for nature's works.で、with no feeling or affection for nature's worksと言っているのはなぜですか？
2）But how could a keen naturalist, who had spent days, nay months, on geological excursions, and who had studied fossils hour after hour, learning their distinctions and memorizing their names, possibly be content with the prospect that these objects of his devoted attention had never existed--were, indeed, a kind of grand joke perpetrated upon us by the Lord of All?
長くて全体の意味を掴むのが大変なのですが、a keen naturalistが主語だと思いますが、それに対する動詞はbe contentのbeになるのでしょうか？
--wereの主語は何になるのでしょうか？
possiblyから英文の構造がよくわからなくなってしまいました。
どのようになっているのでしょうか？
よろしくお願いいたします。
お礼
すごく勉強になりました！ 助かりました＾＾ありがとうございます。