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.

【难句解析】be always as she was“历来如此”；the answer to...“...的答案”；

【句子翻译】可是，不，这是不可能的。母亲从来就是现在这个模样，是一根力量的支柱，一个智慧的源泉，一位对任何问题都能够解答的人。

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

【难句解析】overwhelmed前省略了who was;

【句子翻译】不过对杰拉尔德这也就够了，他还因为真正娶上了她这一难以相信的幸运而吓坏了呢。

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.

【难句解析】no less than“和...一样；不少于”；

【句子翻译】他是个精明人，懂得像他这样一个既无门第又无财产但好吹嘘的爱尔兰人，居然娶到海滨各洲中最富有最荣耀人家的女儿，也算得上是一个奇迹了。