CHILDISH, CHILDLIKE

INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL

Read and translate the following sentences paying special attention to the words in bold type.

1. Laura gave a loud childish sob. 2. There is one tragic thing about all these childish memories that I note however. 3. «It was ripping seeing dear old Punch again,» said Philippa. «I wish you wouldn’t use the word ripping, Philippa. It’s so damned childish.» 4. If only he could induce Jean to shake off her childish infatuation for the Grant follow. 5. He saw her now not through the rose-coloured glasses of a childish romanticist, but with the eyes of a man in want of the understanding friendship of a woman. 6. «You obviously don’t want to dance with me,» she said. «You’re childish,» was the reply. «It’s you who are making all the fuss.» 7. She wont, on after a pause — in a different, rather childish voice. 8. She said it in rather a childish way, if you know, what I mean. 9. But if so, we would have to find the motive, a strong motive, for her desiring the death of those two people—Louise Carpenter and David Baker. A childish hate? Forgotten and done with years ago? Nonsense. 10. «Oh, damn and blast you, John!» she said, with a childish spurt of temper. 11. He had a childlike enthusiasm for fun-fairs, even though he was well over seventy. 12. Her young, childlike face was framed in a blue hood that matched her coat. 13. She loved him all the more for his childlike vanity and she could be sorry for him and comfort him. 14. They were the most un-childlike children he had ever seen; they were like midgets, with the old and worry-creased faces of midgets. 15. To lose sight of such distinctions is to show one’s self, not childlike, but childish.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Childish adj. 1. Proper to, characteristic of, suitable for, a child, e.g. ~games (sports). 2. Immature, silly, not fit for an adult, e.g. a ~ weakness; a ~ mind; a ~ idea.

Derivatives: childishly adv., childishness n.

Childlike adj. Innocent, frank, trusting, simple, naive like a child, e. g. ~ enthusiasm; a ~ face.

Childlike and childish are both applied to persons of any age in referring to characteristics or qualities considered typical of a child. Childlike (детски непосредственный, невинный, искренний, простой) usually suggests those qualities of childhood which are worthy of admiration or imitation, such as innocence, simplicity, trustfulness, etc. Childish (ребяческий, ребячливый, незрелый; детский) suggests its less pleasing and less admirable characteristics, such as helplessness, immaturity, petulance, etc.