But although Syrians whisper about palace intrigues and bumps in the night, a striking number reckon silence is a reasonable price to pay for stability.

• 但是尽管叙利亚人在夜间常常窃窃私语政府所发生的一些琐碎小事，有相当数量的人认为沉寂就是稳定所要付出的合理代价。