While reading a JP children's book, I found this sentence:
顔は、ところどころ、味噌をつけたようにまだらで、くちばしは、平たくて、耳までさけています。
which I roughly understand as:
[As for its] face, here and there, [it has ] spots/speckles like pickled miso, [as for its] beak [it is] flat up to [its] ears [and is] dividing the spotted appearance.
I don't fully understand the relationship between the bolded nouns/adjectives and the verb.
(1) Is 味噌をつけたようにまだらで read as:
- "Appearance of pickled miso spots"
- "Appearance of pickled miso in spots (places)"
- "Spotted appearance of pickled miso"
- "Spots like (similar to) pickled miso" << My reading
- "Spots like [it was] covered in miso << Alternate verb 付ける instead of 漬ける
(2) What's the relationship between まだらで, つけたように and さけています? Should it be read as:
- "Dividing the spotted appearance"
- "Dividing the appearance with spots"
- "Dividing the spots in/of the appearance"
For the record, I'm familiar with what で and に are (as particles), but I'm still inexperienced with their real-world use. (This is only my 3rd book).