两个单词均有无视后果而对他人造成伤害的含义。区别在于在刑法中，wanton经常有故意或恶意（malice) 的含义，指完全不计后果的无理和有预谋的伤害行为（unreasonably of maliciously risking harm while being utterly indifferent to the consequence [1])，故其应译为“放任（纵）的”。相比之下，尽管 reckless远不是一种过失，且其严重有悖于理性之人的正常行为，但其主要指卤莽和无视后果，而无恶意（malice)，与wanton相比，一个reckless person有有意避让伤害的企图，而wanton person则完全无避让伤害的尝试，故reckless责任较wanton 轻[2]，其应译为“莽撞的”或“不顾危险后果的”。同理，与它们相对应的名词wantonness (放任性行为，放纵性行为）和 recklessness (莽撞行为，不顾危险后果的行为）在刑法上也有类似的区别。

[1] Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 378，West Group (1999).

[2]“Characterized by the creation of a substantial and unjustifiable risk to the lives, safety, o rights of others. ”Cf. Linda Pacard Wood, Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Law，at p, 409，Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (1996). "A reckless person is generally fully ware of the risk and may even be trying and hoping to avoid harm. A wanton person may be risking no more harm than the reckless person, but he or she is not trying to avoid the harm and is indifferent about whether it results. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, A Dictionary of Modem Legal Usage, Second Edition, at p. 924 (1995).

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