It is reported that Miranda Payne, upon being acquainted with events, paused only to make sure that her husbands insurance policy was safe, and to make a few pithy remarks concerning her foolishness in not having had him take out double the amount, before breaking out into as prolonged and heart-wringing a wail of grief as ever became a respectable widow.
老师们好，
问题一，upon being在这里的意思是，字典没找到
问题二，as ever讲解为仍旧，照常，但miranda刚刚得知消息，为何翻译为照常成为一个受人尊敬的寡妇呢，不太通顺
谢谢老师啦
It is reported that Miranda Payne, upon being acquainted with events, paused only to make sure that her husbands insurance policy was safe, and to make a few pithy remarks concerning her foolishness in not having had him take out double the amount, before breaking out into as prolonged and heart-wringing a wail of grief as ever became a respectable widow.
1. upon doing... 是介词+动名词结构，介词短语作时间状语。意为“刚做了某事时/后，（就）”，being 的逻辑主语即是前面的Miranda Payne。 等于 as soon as...引导的从句。
upon being acquainted with events = as soon as shewas acquainted with events （米兰达·佩恩刚刚获悉状况后）。又如：
On arriving home I discovered they had gone.
我一到家就发现他们已经离开了。
《牛津词典》
2. as ...as ever 这是比较结构，说明某次的行为“像过去以往那样”，爆发出一种久久不衰的让人心碎的悲恸。不是“照常”。ever 是一个表示时间的“副词”，意思是“以往、以前的任何时候”，常常跟比较结构连用。“成为寡妇后，发出这种跟平常一样的声音”，不矛盾。
