| Acknowledgements | 第4-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-10页 |
| Introduction | 第10-14页 |
| Chapter One Literature Review | 第14-24页 |
| 1.1 A Brief Survey of Humor | 第14-17页 |
| 1.1.1 Definition of Humor | 第14-15页 |
| 1.1.2 Classifications of Humor | 第15-17页 |
| 1.2 Previous Studies on Verbal Humor Abroad and At Home | 第17-20页 |
| 1.2.1 Previous Studies on Verbal Humor Abroad | 第17-19页 |
| 1.2.2 Previous Studies on Verbal Humor At Home | 第19-20页 |
| 1.3 Verbal Humor, Culture and Cross-cultural Communication | 第20-24页 |
| 1.3.1 Definition of Culture | 第21-22页 |
| 1.3.2 Definition of Cross-cultural Communication | 第22页 |
| 1.3.3 Relationship Between Verbal Humor, Culture and Cross-cultural Communication | 第22-24页 |
| Chapter Two Features and Functions of Verbal Humor | 第24-38页 |
| 2.1 Features of Verbal Humor | 第24-33页 |
| 2.1.1 Phonological Features | 第24-27页 |
| 2.1.2 Lexical Features | 第27-28页 |
| 2.1.3 Syntactic Features | 第28-30页 |
| 2.1.4 Semantic Features | 第30-31页 |
| 2.1.5 Pragmatic Features | 第31-33页 |
| 2.2 Functions of Verbal Humor | 第33-38页 |
| 2.2.1 Psychosomatic Function | 第33-34页 |
| 2.2.2 Communicative Function | 第34-36页 |
| 2.2.3 Cultural Function | 第36-38页 |
| Chapter Three Similarities and Differences Between English and Chinese Verbal Humor in Cross-cultural Communication | 第38-52页 |
| 3.1 Similarities Between English and Chinese Verbal Humor in Cross-cultural Communication | 第38-43页 |
| 3.1.1 Use of Phonological Ambiguity | 第38-39页 |
| 3.1.2 Use of Lexical Ambiguity | 第39-40页 |
| 3.1.3 Use of Syntactic Ambiguity | 第40-41页 |
| 3.1.4 Use of Figure of Speech | 第41-43页 |
| 3.2 Differences Between English Verbal Humor and Chinese Verbal Humor | 第43-52页 |
| 3.2.1 Different Topics of Verbal Humor | 第44-45页 |
| 3.2.2 Different Joking Targets of Verbal Humor | 第45-47页 |
| 3.2.3 Different Occasions in the Use of Verbal humor | 第47-49页 |
| 3.2.4 Different Modes of Expression of Verbal Humor | 第49-50页 |
| 3.2.5 Different Styles of Verbal Humor | 第50-52页 |
| Chapter Four Cultural Causes of Differences Between English and Chinese Verbal Humor | 第52-62页 |
| 4.1 History and Geographic Environment | 第52-53页 |
| 4.2 Religions and Beliefs | 第53-55页 |
| 4.3 Cultural Values | 第55-58页 |
| 4.3.1 Individualism vs. Collectivism | 第55-56页 |
| 4.3.2 Power Distance | 第56-58页 |
| 4.4 Different Thinking Patterns | 第58-59页 |
| 4.4.1 Analytic and Logic Thinking vs. Synthetic and Institutive Thinking | 第58-59页 |
| 4.4.2 Direct vs. Indirect | 第59页 |
| 4.5 Social Conventions | 第59-62页 |
| Chapter Five How to Bridge Gap of Verbal Humor Understanding in Cross-cultural Communication | 第62-68页 |
| 5.1 Understanding Linguistic Features of English and Chinese | 第62-63页 |
| 5.2 Understanding the Differences Between English and Chinese Cultures | 第63-64页 |
| 5.3 Overcoming Ethnocentrism | 第64-65页 |
| 5.4 Developing Empathy | 第65-68页 |
| Conclusion | 第68-72页 |
| Bibliography | 第72-75页 |
| 附录 | 第75-76页 |
