the silence was deafening 我的理解是：?死寂般的沉默。
a?deafening silence?(= it was very noticeable that nothing was said or done)?. 置之不理。---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
deafening?
ADJ?If you say there was a?deafening?silence, you are emphasizing that there was no reaction or response to something that was said or done. 死一般的
What was truly despicable was the deafening silence maintained by the candidates concerning the riots.
真正可鄙的是这些侯选人对暴乱所持的缄默态度。
以上来源于《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》