The children were predictably fractious.是什么意思？

The children were predictably fractious.

孩子们肯定会耍脾气。

the

art. 指已提到的人（物），指说话人与听者已知的人（物），用于独一无二的事物前，与形容词最高级和序数词连用；

例句
He did have a real knowledge of the country...
他对该国的确知之甚多。

children

n. 孩子们(child的复数)，儿童，膝下，孥；

例句
Their permissiveness toward their children reflects the wild abandon of their own lives.
他们对孩子的放任折射出他们自身生活的放浪形骸。

were

be的过去时复数和第二人称单数形式，有时代替 was,用于条件从句、动词 wish 之后等；

例句
Shops, houses, and vehicles were set ablaze.
店铺、房子和车辆全都陷于火海。

predictably

adv. 可预见地，果不出所料地，脱不出老一套地；

例句
The party has predictably rejected the proposals as a subterfuge.
不出所料，该党以这些提议是在耍花招为由而加以拒绝。

fractious

adj. 易怒的，急躁的；

例句
Nancy was in a fractious mood...
南希情绪烦躁。