1.He found poker the most useful of all Southern customs, poker and a steady head for whisky; and it was his natural aptitude for cards and amber liquor that brought to Gerald two of his three most prized possessions, his valet and his plantation. The other was his wife, and he could only attribute her to the mysterious kindness of God.

【難句解析】aptitude for...“在...上的天分”，She has an aptitude for language learning. 她在語言學習上很有天分；attribute sb. to...“將...視為”；

【句子翻譯】他發現玩撲克牌是所有的南方習俗中最有用的，只要會打撲克，加上一個喝威士忌的海量，就行了。玩牌和喝酒是杰拉爾德的天生癖性，給他帶來了平生三樣最受贊賞的財富中的兩位，即他的管家和他的農常另一樣便是他的妻子，他只能把她看作是上帝的神奇賜予了。

2.Though Pork’s former owner later offered to buy him back at twice his value, Gerald obstinately refused, for the possession of his first slave, and that slave the “best damn valet on the Coast,” was the first step upward toward his heart’s desire, Gerald wanted to be a slave owner and a landed gentleman.

【難句解析】offer to的意思是“提議、愿意”，He offered to accomodate me. 他提出為我提供食宿；possession of sth.“對某物的占有”，All the farm is in the possession of him. 這整個農場都歸他所有；

【句子翻譯】盡管波克原先的主人后來要求以雙倍的價錢把他買回去，杰拉爾德卻斷然地拒絕了，因為這是他占有的第一個奴隸，而且絕對是"海濱最好的管家"，稱得上是他實現平生渴望的好開端，怎么能放棄呀？杰拉爾德一心一意要當奴隸主和擁有地主的上等人呢。