action
action
ac∙tion¹ / ˈækʃən ; ˈækʃən /
◙noun
1. DOING STH 做某事, [U] the process of doing something, especially in order to achieve a particular thing
• 行动（过程）
»take action ( = do something to deal with a problem )
采取行动
»course / plan of action ( = something that you plan to do in order to achieve something )
行动方针/计划
»tough / firm / decisive action
严厉的/坚决的/果断的措施
»drastic action ( = action that has a very severe effect )
严厉的措施
»demand / call for action
要求采取行动
»put your ideas / plans etc into action ( = do what you had planned to do )
将想法/计划等付诸行动
»spring / swing into action ( = start doing something immediately )
立刻行动
»military action ( = a military attack )
军事行动?
»industrial action ( = a strike or other protest at work )
劳工行动，工业行动
»no further action is needed / required / called for ( = it is not necessary to do anything else )
毋需采取进一步行动
»The government musttake actionnow to stop the rise in violent crime.
政府现在必须采取行动阻止暴力犯罪的上升。
»What do you think is our bestcourse of action?
你觉得我们最佳的行动方针是什么？
»They met to discuss aplan of action.
他们开会商讨行动计划。
▪ [+on]
»Environmental groups wanttougher actionon pollution from cars.
环境保护团体希望对汽车污染采取更严厉的措施。
»Firm actionis needed to keep the situation from getting out of control.
需要采取坚决的措施不让局势失控。
»Business leadersdemandedimmediate anddecisive actionto end the dispute.
企业领导人要求立刻采取果断措施结束争端。
»The situation called fordrastic action.
局势要求采取严厉行动。
»She was looking forward toputtingher ideasinto action.
她盼望着将自己的想法付诸实施。
»Ambulance crews are ready tospring into actionif anything goes wrong during the race.
救护车急救人员随时准备出动，以防比赛出现意外。
»The United States threatenedmilitary actionagainst Iraq.
美国威胁对伊拉克采取军事行动。
»Teachers have voted in favour ofindustrial action.
教师投票赞成劳工行动。
»The doctor says that if the results are negative,no further action is required.
医生说，要是结果呈阴性就不需要进一步采取措施。
2. STH DONE 所做的事, [C] something that someone does
• 行为，作为:
»quick / swift / prompt action
»Herprompt actionsprobably saved my life.
她行动迅速，可能救了我一命。
»The child could not beheld responsible for his actions(=he was too young to be blamed for them) .
不能要求这个小孩对自己的行为负责。
»defend / justify your action(s)
»The chief of police tried to justify his actions.
警察局长试图为自己的行为辩解。
3. in action, someone or something that is in action is doing the job or activity they are trained or designed to do
• 在工作; 在活动; 在运转:
»photos of ski jumpers in action
跳台滑雪者跳下时的照片
»see / watch sth / sb in action
»I'd like to see the new computer system in action.
我希望看到新的计算机系统运行起来。
4. out of action
a. broken and not working
• 失灵，发生故障:
»The photocopieris out of actionagain.
复印机又出故障了。
b. injured and unable to do anything
• 〔受伤〕不能做事:
»put / keep sth out of action
»The injury will keep him out of action for a month.
这次受伤将使他一个月不能工作。
5. FIGHTING 战斗, [U] fighting during a war
• 战斗:
»There have been reports of widespreadenemy actionin the area.
据报敌人在该地区开展大规模行动。
»killed / wounded in action ( = killed or wounded while fighting )
阵亡/战斗中负伤
»His father was killed in action in Vietnam.
他的父亲在越战中阵亡。
»530 servicemen were reportedmissing in action(=they had disappeared) .
据报有 530 名军人在战斗中失踪。
»The men weresent into actionwith little or no training.
这些男子有的仅受过一点点训练，有的根本未经训练，就被送上了战场。
»He hadseen action(=been involved in fighting) in Korea.
他在朝鲜打过仗。
6. LEGAL 法律上的, [C,U] a legal or formal process to decide whether someone has done something wrong
• 诉讼:
»They are threatening totake legal actionagainst the hospital (=start a court case against them) .
他们威胁要起诉那家医院。
»The director facesdisciplinary action(=official action to punish him) .
那位董事面临纪律处分。
»The matter is now the subject of acourt action(=a court case) .
这件事现在成了一桩诉讼的主题。
»The students agreed todroptheiraction(=decide not to continue with a court case or an official complaint) .
学生同意撤销诉讼。
»The sistersbrought a libel actionagainst the newspaper (= started a court case) .
那家姐妹起诉报社诽谤。
7. EXCITEMENT 激动, [U]
a. [informal] exciting things that are happening
• 令人激动的事:
»There hasn't been much action around here for months.
几个月来这里没有发生多少有意思的事。
»New York iswhere all the action is.
纽约是最繁华喧闹的地方。
b. an action film has a lot of exciting scenes in it, in which people fight, chase, and kill each other
• 〔电影〕有许多打斗刺激镜头:
»Gibson became famous in action movies.
吉布森演动作片出了名。
»a TVaction hero
一个电视动作片英雄
8. THE EVENTS IN A STORY / FILM ETC 故事/电影等中的事件, the action the events in a story, film, play etc
• 情节:
»Most ofthe action takes placein San Francisco.
大部分情节发生在旧金山。
»The action opens(=starts) in a barber shop.
故事在一家理发店拉开序幕。
9. MOVEMENT 活动, [C,U] the way something moves or works
• 动作; 功能:
▪ [+of]
»the action of the heart
心脏功能
»a smooth braking action
平稳的制动过程
10. EFFECT 作用, [U] the effect that a substance, especially a chemical, has on something
• 作用〔尤指化学物的作用〕:
▪ [+of]
»The drug blocks the action of the cancer gene.
这种药有遏制癌症基因的作用。
▪ [+on / upon]
»the action of alcohol on the liver
酒精对肝脏的影响
11. action group / committee etc, a group formed to change a social or political situation – often used in names
• 行动小组/委员会等:
»the Child Poverty Action Group
儿童贫困行动小组
12. a piece / slice of the action, [informal] an opportunity to be involved in an event or activity, especially one that will be enjoyable or will make money
• 参与，插手〔尤指为了玩乐、赚钱〕:
»If you want a slice of the action, tickets may still be available.
要是你们想加入，票可能还有。
13. actions speak louder than words, used to say that you are judged by what you do, and not by what you say
• 行动胜于言辞
14. action!, used by film DIRECTORS to give the instruction to begin filming
• 开拍！〔电影导演下令开始拍摄时说的话〕:
»Lights, camera, action!
灯光，摄影，开拍！
--› see AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
action²
◙verb [T] [formal]
1. to do a specific thing that needs to be done, especially after discussing it
• 对…采取措施:
»How are we actually going to action these objectives?
我们究竟打算如何实现这些目标呢？
