If something is imitative, it copies a person, a style, or a sound — and in essays the word often carries a little sting. An imitative singer copies another singer's tricks instead of finding a voice of their own; an imitative film follows a fashion rather than making something new. Teachers and critics use it when they mean 'this is not original; it has no ideas of its own'.

If something is imitative如果一個東西是imitative, it copies a person, a style, or a sound它模仿的是一個人、一種風格，或一種聲音 — and in essays the word often carries a little sting而且在文章裡這個字常常帶點刺。An imitative singer一個imitative的歌手 copies another singer's tricks模仿另一個歌手的招數 instead of finding a voice of their own而不是找到自己的聲音; an imitative film一部imitative的電影 follows a fashion跟著潮流走 rather than making something new而不是創造新東西。Teachers and critics use it老師和評論家會用這個字 when they mean 'this is not original; it has no ideas of its own'意思是「這不是原創，沒有自己的想法」。

It can be kinder, though actually. A child's speech is imitative because children learn by copying, and that is how learning starts. Some words are called imitative when they copy a sound (buzz, splash).

It can be kinder它也可以是比較溫和的意思, though actually不過。A child's speech is imitative小孩說話是imitative because children learn by copying因為小孩就是靠模仿學習, and that is how learning starts學習就是這樣開始的。Some words are called imitative有些字被稱為imitative when they copy a sound是因為它們模仿了一種聲音 (buzz, splash像buzz、splash)。

The sense you will meet in school writing is usually the unkind one: copying because you have nothing of your own to say.

The sense you will meet in school writing你在學校寫作裡會遇到的意思 is usually the unkind one通常是比較不客氣的那個: copying because you have nothing of your own to say意思是因為自己沒話說才去模仿。