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Help with two sentences

Yakultcat

後輩
25 Jul 2012
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Hi

Could someone double-check my interpretation of this sentence (Context: patient is always feeling ill but his complaints are dismissed and he's treated coldly):

昨日など採血のあと、「ヤクルトでも飲みますか」と皮肉られたほどだ。
"Among other things, yesterday after taking blood, "do you even drink Yakult?" was sarcastically asked"

So I'm not sure about the 'など' - whether this means yesterday (as well as on other occasions when blood was taken), or yesterday (as well as other occasions in general)

Also, why ほど at the end of 皮肉られた? As in it's almost but not quite sarcastic?

The other sentence I needed help with was:

「ちょっと変わった先生ですが慣れればどうってことないですから」若い内科医はひきっつた笑みを浮かべ、和雄と目を合わせようとはしなかった。

I cannot work out: 和雄と目を合わせようとはしなかった。

I know Volitional form + to suru = try to do something... so in this case is the doctor trying NOT to look Kazuo in the eye? And は is making Kazuo not being looked in the eye the topic of the sentence?

Thank you
 
昨日など採血のあと、「ヤクルトでも飲みますか」と皮肉られたほどだ。
"Among other things, yesterday after taking blood, "do you even drink Yakult?" was sarcastically asked"

So I'm not sure about the 'など' - whether this means yesterday (as well as on other occasions when blood was taken), or yesterday (as well as other occasions in general)

Also, why ほど at the end of 皮肉られた? As in it's almost but not quite sarcastic?
など【等/抔】の意味
2 ある事物を例示し、特にそれを軽んじて扱う意を表す。否定的な表現の中で多く使われる。…なんか。…なんて。「わたしのこと―お忘れでしょう」「金―いるものか」
など【等/抔】[副助]の意味 - goo国語辞書
昨日など modifies the whole sentence, not only 採血, thus, "yesterday's case" is one of examples, an extreme example of "his complaints are dismissed and he's treated coldly".

ほど【程】の意味
2 ある事柄をあげることによって、動作や状態の程度を表す。…くらい。「二人は驚く程似ている」
ほど【程】[副助連語]の意味 - goo国語辞書
It's totally sarcastic. He is treated so coldly that a sarcasm is said. ほど emphasizes the extremeness of the example also here.

The other sentence I needed help with was:

「ちょっと変わった先生ですが慣れればどうってことないですから」若い内科医はひきっつた笑みを浮かべ、和雄と目を合わせようとはしなかった。

I cannot work out: 和雄と目を合わせようとはしなかった。

I know Volitional form + to suru = try to do something... so in this case is the doctor trying NOT to look Kazuo in the eye? And は is making Kazuo not being looked in the eye the topic of the sentence?
Yes, for the doctor's action.
は is originally the contrastive marker (the doctor is talking to Kazuo, but not looking Kazuo), but it's more likely used just for emphasis in negative forms (e.g. 言わない vs. 言いはしない).
 
Thank you for clarifying the grammar points, much appreciated. There is such a difference between learning grammar in a classroom setting and then coming across it in a more natural setting...
 
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