Tolstoi's _Giperboloid inzhenera Garina_

[Alexei Lebedev]

Thanks to Robert Greenberg (U. No. Carolina), Anna Rakityanskaya (U. Texas)
and Alexei Lebedev (CERN, Switzerland; whose reply is most detailed and
appears below) for their prompt responses to my query which is repeated
below.  First, to summarize the other two respondents's answers:  Anna
Rakityanskaya agrees with Alexiei Lebedev's interpretation of 'editorial
offices'.  Robert Greenberg adds that _redaktsiia_ can also mean 'version'
(as Alexei lists as well below).  Robert also asks whether this should be
_V tridtsati dvukh ..._ (with the first numeral stem in the PREP insted of
_tridtsat'_, which is the NOM/ACC form).  Actually, I got this from Igor'
Mel'Cuk's (1985) book _Poverkhnostnyi sintaksis russkikh chislovykh
vyrazhenii._ (= Wiener slawistischer Almanach.  Sonderband 16.)  Wien:
Wiener slavistischer Almanach, page 223 [his example 9a].  Mel'Cuk writes
that in compound integers within overall nominal expressions assigned an
oblique case other than INST, _and_ the second numeral stem is either 'two'
or 'three' (but not 'four'!), then the first of these numerals can "fail to
decline" as it were.  He suggests that prosody is involved.  As is well
known, the "paucal" integers act alike.  The oblique cases tend also to act
alike (at least DAT, PREP and INST).  It appears that if the second part of
the compound numeral is monosyllabic (i.e., _dvukh_, _dvum_, _trekh_ or
_trem_), then the first numeral can _optionally_ (in conversational Ru),
not appear in that oblique case (be it GEN, DAT or PREP).  The INST of 'two'
and 'three' are disyllabic:  _dvumia_ and _tremia_, respectively.  Likewise,
all the (oblique-)case forms of the other paucal numerals are at least
trisyllabic (e.g., _chetyrem_, _chetryrmia_ 'four (DAT, INST)').  Neat, huh?

If anyone can refute these data or add to their understanding, then I'd be
most grateful.  The following is my original query, followed by Alexei's
reply.

Best,  --Loren Billings (billings at princeton.edu)
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Would anyone know the correct gloss of _redaktsiiakh_ in the following
> passage:
>
> _V tridtsat' dvukh redaktsiiakh stoial strashnyi krik._
should be:
  _V tridtsati dvukh redaktsiiakh stoial strashnyi krik._
>
> [A.N. Tolstoi, _Giperboloid inzhenera Garina_, pp. unknown.]
>
> I know that this word can mean either 'editions' or 'editorial offices/
> staffs'.  Unfortunately I didn't see this sentence in context.
>
>               Thanks,  --Loren Billings (billings at princeton.edu)

Let me try to interpret:

Something extraordinary happened... [Did Mr.Garin demonstrate his laser?
Did he deliver them some gold?]  In the editorial offices of 32 newspapers
everybody was very excited, the editorial staff loudly discussed the things...

Hope this helps,
Alexei.

PS _redaktsiia_ may mean:

(process of) editing,
edition,
editorial office/staff,
version.