General confusion ("Volitional＋ともせず”, redundancy, uses of と, )


I'm having trouble understanding the grammar in some sentences even if I
understand the basic idea of the sentence. I may post with more questions
later.

> 幸夫の横で、あんぐりと口もひらき、逃げようともせず、ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても、今、眼の前に起こっていることが信じられないにちがいなかった。

The part I'm having the most trouble with is this:

> あんぐりと口もひらき、逃げようともせず、ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても

I get that ただぼんやりしている is modifying 叔父 and I've found definitions for all the
words separately but I'm not making much sense of them together.

I understand that 叔父's mouth is hanging open but I have no idea what's going
on grammatically in あんぐりと口もひらき.

I understand Volitional + ともせず means something along the lines of "without
even.." but if you know of a good way to break it down and understand what
each bit is doing and why it's there, that would help me a lot.

Even just links to explanations of the grammar would be helpful. I'm sorry my
questions are so vague. If I knew how to be more specific, I would.

For context..

>
> 中生代にさかえ、今はもうほろびて、地球上にはいないとされている恐竜が―。その恐竜が、今、幸夫たちの眼の前へ、網走湾の海底から立ちあがったのである。そして、それは、海岸めがけて歩いてくるのだ。幸夫たちの方へ、近づいてくるのだ。
>
>
> 幸夫には信じられなかった。幸夫の横で、あんぐりと口もひらき、逃げようともせず、ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても、今、眼の前に起こっていることが信じられないにちがいなかった。
>
> ふたりとも、何も考えられなかった。頭の中が、からっぽになったようだった。
>
>
> 恐竜は、短い前足を胸のあたりにだらりとさげ、あと肢だけで歩きながら、砂浜にあがってきた。からだの大きさは十メートルもあるだろうか。眼を赤く光らせ、からだ中から水をしたたらせながら、その恐竜は、幸夫たちの乗っている車の前を、通りすぎていこうとした。




Here is my attempt at an answer. First I will try a natural translation that
is unfaithful to the grammar, but hopefully retains the meaning.

> 幸夫の横で、あんぐりと口もひらき、逃げようともせず、ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても、 今、眼の前に起こっていることが信じられないにちがいなかった。
>
> Beside Yukio was his uncle. He stood with his mouth agape, dazed in
> confusion, not even trying to run and unable to believe what was now before
> his eyes.

The following is my attempt to explain your misunderstanding. As my knowledge
is surely flawed, if anyone would like to correct my mistakes, please do so.

> 幸夫の横で、
>
> Beside Yukio
>
> あんぐりと口もひらき、
>
> "あんぐりと口を開けて" is a set phrase meaning "someone with one's mouth agape (in
> surprise)." I do not know what あんぐり literally means. ひらき is the "noun form"
> of 開く--for instance, think of のみ being the "noun form" of 飲む. This verb form
> is used in the middle of sentences, especially when you are stringing
> together a bunch of concepts, as this example does. (this explanation sucks,
> sorry)

Here are examples of this type of pattern:

<http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q>=飲み、

One example:

この10年間、私は日本の空気を吸い、日本の水を飲み、日本の米を食べて生きてきた。そして私は変わった。 During the years of
breathing its air, drinking its water and eating its food, I've changed.

> 逃げようともせず、
>
> Without even trying to run.  
>  Volitional + ともせず is a form of Volitional + と + する (which means to try to
> do). In this case, する is inflected to negative （せず, similar to しない) (thanks
> snailplane). も can mean "even", and せず is "without". せず is more common in
> written language.
>
> ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても、
>
> Uncle, just(ただ) in a daze...
>
> I am not sure what にしても is doing here; perhaps it seperates the description
> of the uncle from what comes next.
>
> 今、眼の前に起こっていることが信じられないにちがいなかった。
>
> Now, what was happening before his/their eyes...they/he were surely unable
> to believe.




Here is my attempt at an answer. First I will try a natural translation that
is unfaithful to the grammar, but hopefully retains the meaning.

> 幸夫の横で、あんぐりと口もひらき、逃げようともせず、ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても、 今、眼の前に起こっていることが信じられないにちがいなかった。
>
> Beside Yukio was his uncle. He stood with his mouth agape, dazed in
> confusion, not even trying to run and unable to believe what was now before
> his eyes.

The following is my attempt to explain your misunderstanding. As my knowledge
is surely flawed, if anyone would like to correct my mistakes, please do so.

> 幸夫の横で、
>
> Beside Yukio
>
> あんぐりと口もひらき、
>
> "あんぐりと口を開けて" is a set phrase meaning "someone with one's mouth agape (in
> surprise)." I do not know what あんぐり literally means. ひらき is the "noun form"
> of 開く--for instance, think of のみ being the "noun form" of 飲む. This verb form
> is used in the middle of sentences, especially when you are stringing
> together a bunch of concepts, as this example does. (this explanation sucks,
> sorry)

Here are examples of this type of pattern:

<http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q>=飲み、

One example:

この10年間、私は日本の空気を吸い、日本の水を飲み、日本の米を食べて生きてきた。そして私は変わった。 During the years of
breathing its air, drinking its water and eating its food, I've changed.

> 逃げようともせず、
>
> Without even trying to run.  
>  Volitional + ともせず is a form of Volitional + と + する (which means to try to
> do). In this case, する is inflected to negative （せず, similar to しない) (thanks
> snailplane). も can mean "even", and せず is "without". せず is more common in
> written language.
>
> ただぼんやりしている叔父にしても、
>
> Uncle, just(ただ) in a daze...
>
> I am not sure what にしても is doing here; perhaps it seperates the description
> of the uncle from what comes next.
>
> 今、眼の前に起こっていることが信じられないにちがいなかった。
>
> Now, what was happening before his/their eyes...they/he were surely unable
> to believe.

