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Please explain the function of と (in bold) in this behemoth of a sentence:

この偽書評を書いたときには、あとで誰かから「ろくでもない嘘をつくな」という苦情の手紙とか、「どこに行けばこの本が手にはいるのか」といった問い合わせがくるんじゃないかと覚悟していたんだけど、。。。

If you can't find the bold it's the last と in the sentence.

I'll put my translation attempt in the order of the Japanese to aid following the structure

When I wrote this fake book review, afterwards, by somebody, such complaining letters as "You've told a worthless lie" or, enquiries such as "Where can I go to get this book", wouldn't they come? と prepared for, but...

I can't quite get the last part くるんじゃないかと覚悟していたんだけど to make sense.

Also, could you please explain why it is という after the first quote but といった after the second quote. I don't think I've seen という, when used like this, expressed in the past tense.

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と can be used to report speech, thought, or intention (it marks either direct speech or indirect speech.)

"... to iimashita." = I said that ..."

"... to omoimashita. = "I thought that ..."

"... と覚悟していた" = "I was prepared for ..."

Your translation is something like: "When I wrote the fake book review, although I was prepared for the possibility that complaining letters and enquiries would come afterwards..."

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    +1, but I'd say they're more than very similar: they're all instances of the same grammatical usage. As such, I would reword the first sentence to something like: "と can be used to report speech, thought, or intention. (to mark either direct speech or indirect speech.)"
    – Will
    Commented Sep 8, 2015 at 1:16
  • I have amended my answer accordingly (and upvoted your comment).
    – tomi
    Commented Sep 8, 2015 at 1:18
  • Thanks for the reply. Sometimes when I see と there's an implied 思って or something similar which isn't written. I assume then that this is not the case in this example. I'm still confused because the thing I'm 'preparing' for seems to be a question.
    – user3856370
    Commented Sep 8, 2015 at 19:43
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    I'm not sure but I think that this is a special use of "じゃないか" that is best not translated literally. For example, a literal translation of "kurun janaika to omoimashita" should be "I thought to myself, 'They won't come, will they?'" but is better translated (in my opinion) as "I thought that they probably wouldn't come."
    – tomi
    Commented Sep 8, 2015 at 21:10
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    「"kurun janaika to omoimashita" ... is better translated ... as "I thought that they probably wouldn't come."」 >> 来るんじゃないかと思いました means "I thought they probably would come. / might come". ≒ 「来るだろうと思いました」/「来るかもしれないと思いました」. 来るんじゃないか？ is more like "They will come, won't they?" rather than "They won't come, will they?" So 来るんじゃないかと覚悟していた is like "I expected that letters or enquiries would/might come".
    – chocolate ♦
    Commented Sep 9, 2015 at 17:04

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