That people waste hours huddled around a wooden box listening to someone talking at them burbling inanities from somewhere else.

虚度大好光阴，围坐在一个木头盒子旁，听千里之外的人说些无聊的话。

And he was going to vent his aggravation by burning that document, a bonfire of the inanities.

他打算通过焚烧这份文件来发泄他的愤怒，就像一场愚蠢的篝火。

In such an atmosphere it is possible to be serious without pompousness and flippant without inanity.

在这样的氛围中， 可以严肃而不浮夸， 轻率而不空虚。

I was in terror lest Sandip Babu should take me for a shrinking, old-fashioned bundle of inanity. But, for the life of me, I could not sparkle in repartees such as might charm or dazzle him.

我很害怕 Sandip Babu 会把我当成一个萎缩的、老式的空洞的束缚。但是，就我的生活而言，我无法在诸如可能吸引他或使他眼花缭乱的回答中闪闪发光。