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These two sentences don't seem to fit to the grammar rules on と that I've been able to dig up so far:

ぼんやりとした意識{いしき}のまま窓{まど}に視線{しせん}をやると、とっくに日が昇{のぼ}っていた。

This form seems to fit と as an 'if/when' conjunction, however the grammar book I'm using states that と must be a natural consequence of the verb clause the precedes it [lit: "a subordinate conjunction which marks a condition that brings about an noncontrollable event or clause"]. Surely, the speaker turning her head couldn't have caused the sun to have "risen a long time ago" (this doesn't make any sense to me, at least)?

What else is it, then?

From the context it seems to be "when I turn my head, I see the sun's already risen" but I this is pure conjecture on my part. How does と work here?

The next sentence seems to fit another familiar structure, と used as a particle to list things:

冬{ふゆ}にしては暖{あたた}かな空気{くうき}と、シーツにくるまりたい欲求{よっきゅう}と少しだけ格闘{かくとう}した。

So ~空気と、~欲求と少しだけ格闘した would make sense from pure grammar standpoint but it doesn't make sense when I translate it as "I [slightly] grapple with the temptation to roll up in my sheets and (???) the air that is quite warm considering it's winter". Fighting a temptation makes perfect sense but fighting air? Is it just a creative quirk on the author's part (and I'm completely fine with that if it's the case here) or am I completely misunderstanding something from the grammar standpoint?

よろしくお願いします

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  • For the second sentence, does this make sense given the context? "The air is unusually warm for a winter. I want to roll up in my sheets because they're cozy. But because it's so warm I get sweaty etc. So I'm fighting against a temptation to cuddle up in my sheats; and against the warm air."
    – blutorange
    Mar 19, 2015 at 0:22
  • Looks like the comma which the author used for a good, valid reason ended up confusing at least a couple of Japanese learners. It does not say "fight air" at all.
    – user4032
    Mar 19, 2015 at 0:34

1 Answer 1

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ぼんやりとした意識のまま窓に視線をやると、とっくに日が昇っていた。

The と is like "when I ~~, (I found) ~~".

冬にしては暖かな空気と、シーツにくるまりたい欲求と少しだけ格闘した。

The first と means "and", connecting 空気 and シーツ; you want to roll up in the warm air and the sheets.

The second と is "against"; you fight against your desire, or resist the temptation (=欲求と格闘). 

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