| Introduction | 第1-11页 |
| 1. Vagueness | 第11-31页 |
| ·What is vagueness in language? | 第11-13页 |
| ·Lack of boundaries | 第11-12页 |
| ·Ullmann's definition | 第12-13页 |
| ·Levels of vagueness in language | 第13-18页 |
| ·Vagueness at the phonetic level | 第14页 |
| ·Vagueness in word meanings | 第14-17页 |
| ·Content expressions and functional expressions | 第15-16页 |
| ·Hedges | 第16-17页 |
| ·Vagueness at the macro-linguistic level | 第17-18页 |
| ·Vagueness: an important feature in the real world and in human cognition | 第18-21页 |
| ·Vagueness in real world | 第18-19页 |
| ·Vagueness in cognition | 第19-21页 |
| ·Pragmatic approaches to vagueness | 第21-29页 |
| ·Vagueness, ambiguity and context | 第21-25页 |
| ·The "context test": to distinguish between vagueness and ambiguity | 第21-23页 |
| ·Context enables the interlocutors to communicate in vague language | 第23-25页 |
| ·Vagueness and CP | 第25-26页 |
| ·Vagueness and the Relevance Theory | 第26-28页 |
| ·Vague language and politeness | 第28-29页 |
| ·Vagueness vs. precision | 第29-31页 |
| 2. Hedges | 第31-55页 |
| ·Reflection on Lakoff's definition: vagueness as a prevalent feature and the double function of hedges | 第31-34页 |
| ·Prevalence of vagueness | 第31-33页 |
| ·Double function | 第33-34页 |
| ·Definitions of "hedge" | 第34-36页 |
| ·Everyday meaning | 第34-35页 |
| ·Meaning as a linguistic term | 第35-36页 |
| ·Toward a working definition of hedge | 第36-39页 |
| ·A working definition of hedge | 第36-37页 |
| ·Appropriateness of the term and its Chinese translation | 第37-39页 |
| ·Hedging items | 第39-51页 |
| ·Approximators and shields | 第39-47页 |
| ·Approximators | 第40-44页 |
| ·Approximators and vague quantities | 第40-41页 |
| ·Approximators and typicality | 第41-43页 |
| ·Approximators and attitude | 第43-44页 |
| ·Shields | 第44页 |
| ·A comparison between approximators and shields | 第44-47页 |
| ·Explicit vs. implicit | 第45-46页 |
| ·Range of modification | 第46-47页 |
| ·Modal words | 第47-50页 |
| ·Zero-hedge | 第50-51页 |
| ·The widening of hedges and hedging | 第51-55页 |
| 3. The exploration of the pragmatic functions of hedges | 第55-66页 |
| ·How do hedges work? | 第55-59页 |
| ·Statements vs. requests | 第56-58页 |
| ·Hedges as modifiers of certain variables in speech acts | 第58-59页 |
| ·Making language more precise | 第59-61页 |
| ·Making language more relevant | 第61页 |
| ·Making language more polite | 第61-66页 |
| ·Assigning unpleasant characteristics with reservation | 第62-63页 |
| ·Performing indirect speech acts | 第63页 |
| ·Avoiding face threatening acts | 第63-66页 |
| Conclusion | 第66-67页 |
| Bibliography | 第67-68页 |
