ぶら下がっていた / 一つひとつ

E

eeky

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8 Jun 2010

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• 15 Mar 2014

• #1

Hi,

一つひとつ区切られたトイレの小部屋の木の扉は、ペン キが剥げ落ち、引っ掻き傷だらけで、そのうちの一枚は 蝶番が外れてぶら下がっていた。

1. What is the subject of ぶら下がっていた? Normally I would assume 蝶番, but I was wondering if grammatically there is any way it could be 一枚?

2. Is there any significance in writing 一つひとつ rather than 一つ一つ?

 

Toritoribe

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Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

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• 15 Mar 2014

• #2

1)
Yes, grammatically one of the doors can be the subject.

2)
I don't think so. It would be just the author's/translater's preference.

 

E

eeky

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8 Jun 2010

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• 15 Mar 2014

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• #3

Toritoribe said:

1)
Yes, grammatically one of the doors can be the subject.

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Oh, that's interesting. Which way would you most naturally read it?

 

Toritoribe

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First I naturally thought what was hanging off was a hinge without having any other interpretation, but after reading your question, I realized that a door indeed can be the subject. Now I think these two interpretations are equally possible. (Well, at least on the point of grammar. It would depend on the reader's impression of how badly the toilet is run-down, which is received from the context.)

 

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eeky

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8 Jun 2010

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• #5

In the case that the subject of ぶら下がっていた is interpreted as 一枚, would you say that 蝶番が外れて is interpreted as parenthetical?

 

Toritoribe

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It's more likely adverbial(explaining the reason) or continuous(the two clauses are both describing a state of the door) .

 

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eeky

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• #7

I see, thank you.