| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-8页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-12页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第12-17页 |
| ·Research Background | 第12页 |
| ·A Brief Introduction of The Big Bang Theory | 第12-14页 |
| ·Purposes of the Research | 第14-15页 |
| ·Significance of the Research | 第15-16页 |
| ·Thesis Structure | 第16-17页 |
| Chapter Two An Overview of Verbal Humor | 第17-26页 |
| ·An Introduction of Humor | 第17-19页 |
| ·Definitions and classifications of humor | 第17-18页 |
| ·The formation and effect of verbal humor | 第18-19页 |
| ·Previous Studies of Verbal Humor | 第19-22页 |
| ·Psychological approaches to verbal humor | 第20页 |
| ·Semantic approaches to verbal humor | 第20-21页 |
| ·Pragmatic approaches to verbal humor | 第21-22页 |
| ·Previous Studies of American Verbal Humor | 第22-23页 |
| ·Researches on The Big Bang Theory | 第23-26页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Framework | 第26-34页 |
| ·Background and Formation of Relevance Theory | 第26-27页 |
| ·Main Issues of Relevance Theory | 第27-34页 |
| ·Ostensive-inferential process | 第28-30页 |
| ·Maximal relevance and optimal relevance | 第30-31页 |
| ·Cognitive competence and cognitive context | 第31-34页 |
| Chapter Four Interpreting the Verbal Humor of The Big Bang Theory from the Perspective of Relevance Theory | 第34-56页 |
| ·The Ostensive-inferential Process of Verbal Humor | 第34-42页 |
| ·The ostensive process | 第34-38页 |
| ·The inferential process | 第38-42页 |
| ·Verbal Humor Interpreted by Maximal and Optimal Relevance | 第42-46页 |
| ·Verbal Humor Interpreted Based on Cognitive Context | 第46-50页 |
| ·Factors Affecting the Emergence of American Verbal Humor | 第50-56页 |
| ·Social factors | 第50-51页 |
| ·Cultural factors | 第51-54页 |
| ·Mode of thinking | 第54-56页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusions | 第56-59页 |
| ·Major Findings | 第56-57页 |
| ·Limitation of the Present Study | 第57-58页 |
| ·Suggestions for Further Study | 第58-59页 |
| Bibliography | 第59-62页 |
| 攻读硕士期间的科研成果 | 第62页 |
