act, action, deed
act 用作名词时,与action, deed均可表“行为”,“举动”。Act指时间较短的个人行动或行为,强调结果。如:The farmer caught the boys in the act of stealing his apples. (农夫在孩子们正偷他的苹果时把他们抓住了。)
action较正式,往往指不止包含一个步骤,且持续时间较长的行为或行动,强调行为的过程。如:Actions are more important than words. (行动比语言更重要。)
deed为正式用语,多指伟大的,显著的,感人的行为。如:They thanked him for his good deeds. (他们感谢他做的好事。)