あとを続ける / かけて / 昨年 / 大敗北に泣いた

[eeky]

Hi,


1. 「金色のスニッチだよ」ハリーがあとを続ける。「とても小さいし、速くって、・・・

a) Does あとを続ける just mean that Harry continued with the rest of what he had to say?

b) 速くって is emphatic version of 速くて, right?


2. 「ひと夏かけて、まったく新しい練習方法を編み出した んだ。」

Does かけて refer to the expenditure of time?


3. Are 去年 and 昨年 interchangeable?


4. グリフィンドールは選手一人欠場のまま、この三百年来、最悪という大 敗北に泣いた。

a) What is the difference between saying 最悪という大敗北 and saying 最悪な大敗北?

b) I suppose 敗北に泣く is a kind of set expression, is it?

c) I'm curious, what does 北 have to do with defeat?

 

[Toritoribe]

1) a) b) 2)
Yes.

3)
Basically, yes. 去年 sounds more colloquial, so it could be awkward depending on the situation, though.

4) a)
The meaning is the same, but という has a nuance as if 「この三百年来、最悪」 is a title (the title of a news article, for instance). You can also use 最悪の大敗北.

b)
Not really. に indicates "cause/reason" as same as ～によって, ～のために, ～のせいで.

−に
((格助詞))
6 〔理由，原因〕for; with
恥ずかしさに赤面した
She blushed for shame.
うれしさに躍り上がった
He danced for [with] joy.
寒さに震えた
They shivered with cold.
彼らは飢えに苦しんでいた
They were suffering from hunger.
警報に驚いた
We were startled by the alarm.

にの英語・英訳 - 和英辞書 - goo辞書

c)
北 doesn't mean "north" here. The original meaning of the kanji is "Two persons stand with their backs to each other" (The shape of the kanji looks like that, doesn't it?). Then it also has a meaning "to turn one's back to the enemy and leave there", i.e., "to flee", and finally it means "defeat".

 

[eeky]

Thank you.

It makes more sense to me with という referring to the whole of 「この三百年来、最悪」. I was applying it only to 最悪.