ガーゴイル像に命が吹き込まれ / じゃった

[eeky]

Hi,

1. ガーゴイル像に命が吹き込まれ、脇に飛び退いた。

Somehow I cannot seem to understand the relationship between the parts of ガーゴイル像に命が吹き込まれ. How does this phrase work?

2. 「おう、あなたじゃったか、マクゴナガル先生」

Is じゃった = だった?

 

[Toritoribe]

1)
ガーゴイル像に命が吹き込まれ、ガーゴイル像が脇に飛び退いた。 makes sense?

2)
Yes.

 

[eeky]

Thanks, I think I might have just twigged. に marks the target of 命, not the agent of 吹き込まれ, is that right?

 

[Toritoribe]

Yes, since it's passive.

passive
ガーゴイル像に命が吹き込まれた。
命: subject
ガーゴイル像: target
(The agent is not mentioned.)

active
（誰か/何かが）ガーゴイル像に命を吹き込んだ。
誰か/何か: subject/agent
命: object
ガーゴイル像: target

EDIT:
Ah, I think I got your point. You are talking about the cases that に indicates the agent in a passive sentence, for instance, 泥棒に財布を盗まれた, right? によって is often used to indicate the agent instead of just に in these cases to avoid being confused.
e.g.
ガーゴイル像によって（何かに）命が吹き込まれた。

 

[eeky]

You are talking about the cases that に indicates the agent in a passive sentence, for instance, 泥棒に財布を盗まれた, right?

Yes, that's right. That is what confused me.

By the way, do you think that most Japanese people would know the word ガーゴイル?

 

[Toritoribe]

I think it's not so common. What came to my mind from the word was Notre-Dame de Paris.