Ramey Rieger (X) Oct 31, 2012:

"mechanically" would bring in the chilling aspect or there must be further explanation:

and each one was bent silently over their food, eating mechanically.

or something like this. Unfortunately I've got to go!

Wolf Draeger Oct 31, 2012:

Engrossed? "Everyone promptly bent double over their plates, utterly engrossed with their meal". It doesn't have a menacing feel to it, though, unless one adds something like "in complete silence" after meal.

Kurt Beals (asker) Oct 31, 2012:

ungeheuer Thanks so much for all of your feedback! These suggestions are definitely on the right track -- this passage continues "Keines schaute dem andern auf die Hände, noch ins Gesicht. Aber auch die Mutter sprach kein Wort und aß nur mit uns ihren Anteil zu Ende." So the idea that they're avoiding eye contact because they're in trouble is absolutely right. But there's such a stark, almost chilling sense to this scene, I'm wondering if there's a way to work that into this sentence in English -- in the German "ungeheuer" I hear not just very/extremely, but also the echo of "monstrous," or at least a sense that this feeling is overwhelming/overpowering. The children are going dutifully about their business, but there's also a dark shadow over the scene. Does anybody have a suggestion of how to get all that into a couple words?

Ramey Rieger (X) Oct 31, 2012:

@Silvia Yes, that's it. Ignore it and it will go away.

Silvia Autenrieth Oct 30, 2012:

DUDEN definition This is how the DUDEN defines the term:

"sich in umständlicher, ein wenig penetranter Weise freundlich und geschäftig benehmen"

http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/betun

Diligent definitely does not fit. For me, it has a feel of nauseatingly well-behaved children who almost appear like marionettes. Get my point?

Helen Shiner Oct 30, 2012:

betun I think of it as approximately 'about their business', here 'extremely busy about their business'. Their business being eating here obviously.

Colin Rowe Oct 30, 2012:

@Ramey Sounds great!

Usch Pilz Oct 30, 2012:

@ Ramey Yes, ma'am! ;-)

Ramey Rieger (X) Oct 30, 2012:

I wouldn't use diligent for eating, but that's probably just a matter of taste. In this situation, I would say "intently concentrating on their food."

franglish Oct 30, 2012:

diligent sounds good: with notable diligence. As Usch says they pretend to concentrate on their meal.

Usch Pilz Oct 30, 2012:

They are acting very busy None of the kids wants to be singled out (for more punishment/for questioning), so they pretend to be very busy with what they are doing, avoiding eye-contact, avoiding everything that might draw attention. Delingence can be part of it.