だけ / という / またか

[eeky]

Hi,

ハリーとロンだけが「黙らせ呪文」の追加練習をするという宿題をだされたが、二人ともまたかと思っただけだった。

1. Does the first だけ imply that no one else received this homework?

2. What is the purpose of the second だけ?

3. How would the meaning change if という was deleted?

4. What is 二人ともまたか? Is it 二人とも・また・か? If so, what does またか mean?

 

[Mike Cash]

4. 「又(です)か？」

 

[eeky]

4. 「又(です)か？」

Thanks, I understand that また can be 又. I have considered that. Even so, I do not understand the meaning in that context.

 

[Mike Cash]

Thanks, I understand that また can be 又. I have considered that. Even so, I do not understand the meaning in that context.

"What? Again?"

They're accustomed to being given extra work as a punishment and they gave it no more thought than to inwardly remark "What? Again?". Water off a duck's back.

 

[mdchachi]

Q2 reinforces what Mike just said. The だけ here limits the result. "They only thought What? Again?" It has a "nothing more than that" meaning.

Q1 I agree with your reading. However it doesn't "imply" because it specifically states only Harry and Ron.
Q3 Without the という then the "do" phrase modifies the homework which doesn't make sense because homework can't do practice.
追加練習をするという宿題 = Homework called Do Supplemental Practice
追加練習をする宿題 = Homework that does supplemental practice

 

[Toritoribe]

2)
In addition, they didn't have any other impression they would usually have (e.g. it's tough). In other words, they got used to receive plenty of homework.

3)
The meaning is the same. 宿題 can't be misinterpreted as the subject of 追加練習をする (i.e., 宿題が追加練習をする is semantically odd), therefore the readers can recognize 追加練習をする is the contents of 宿題 correctly. Whether という can be omitted or not depends on the head noun.