他的笑话之后是一阵尴尬的沉默。

There was an awkward ___silence after his joke.

作者的风格包括频繁的沉默来强调情感。

The author's style includes frequent ___silences to emphasize emotion.

人群等待时，一阵短暂的沉默降临。

A brief ___silence fell over the crowd as they waited.