1. But no, that wasn’t possible. Mother had always been just as she was, a pillar of strength, a fount of wisdom, the one person who knew the answers to everything.

【難句解析】be always as she was“歷來如此”；the answer to...“...的答案”；

【句子翻譯】可是，不，這是不可能的。母親從來就是現在這個模樣，是一根力量的支柱，一個智慧的源泉，一位對任何問題都能夠解答的人。

2.But that was enough for Gerald, overwhelmed at his unbelievable luck in actually marrying her.

【難句解析】overwhelmed前省略了who was;

【句子翻譯】不過對杰拉爾德這也就夠了，他還因為真正娶上了她這一難以相信的幸運而嚇壞了呢。

3.Shrewd man that he was, he knew that it was no less than a miracle that he, an Irishman with nothing of family and wealth to recommend him, should win the daughter of one of the wealthiest and proudest families on the Coast.

【難句解析】no less than“和...一樣；不少于”；

【句子翻譯】他是個精明人，懂得像他這樣一個既無門第又無財產但好吹噓的愛爾蘭人，居然娶到海濱各洲中最富有最榮耀人家的女兒，也算得上是一個奇跡了。