| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-10页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第10-21页 |
| ·Basic symbol—target of this research | 第10-16页 |
| ·Definitions of symbol | 第10-12页 |
| ·Delimitation of basic symbol | 第12-13页 |
| ·Natures of basic symbol | 第13-14页 |
| ·Definition of basic symbol | 第14-15页 |
| ·The symbol, the symbolized and symbolism | 第15-16页 |
| ·A briefing on studies of basic symbol | 第16-17页 |
| ·Rationale of this research | 第17-19页 |
| ·Purposes of this research | 第19-20页 |
| ·Outline of the thesis | 第20-21页 |
| Chapter Two The Omnipresent Basic Symbol—Western Symbol Studies on Its Nature, Function and Inner Mechanism | 第21-36页 |
| ·Introduction | 第21页 |
| ·Major western theories of symbol | 第21-32页 |
| ·The transcendental world of “meanings”—philosophical foundations of Symbol studies | 第21-23页 |
| ·Symbol—Linking the reality and the idea | 第21-22页 |
| ·Plato’s Theory of Ideas | 第22-23页 |
| ·Ernst Cassirer’s philosophy of symbolic culture | 第23页 |
| ·Unification of the “dual worlds”of the mundane and the divine—religious approaches to the function of basic symbol | 第23-25页 |
| ·Basic symbol as embodiment of the supernatural | 第23-25页 |
| ·Allegorization in the Interpretation—important source of basic symbol | 第25页 |
| ·The reflection of thought and the psychic need—psychological approaches to the relation of basic symbol and mind | 第25-27页 |
| ·Basic symbol as outwardly manifested psyche | 第25-26页 |
| ·Jung’s archetypal symbol | 第26-27页 |
| ·The demonstration of Cultural value—anthropological approaches to the nature of basic symbol | 第27-28页 |
| ·Basic Symbol as human nature | 第27页 |
| ·Symbolic anthropologic studies | 第27-28页 |
| ·The extraordinary art of human language—literary approaches to the Application of basic symbol | 第28-29页 |
| ·Kant’s and Hegel’s theories—aesthetic foundation for Literary symbolism | 第28页 |
| ·Basic symbol in literary studies | 第28-29页 |
| ·Arbitrariness Vs Motivation—Linguistic approaches to the inner mechanism of basic symbol | 第29-31页 |
| ·Basic symbol as the nature of language | 第29-30页 |
| ·Scientific and humanistic symbol studies | 第30-31页 |
| ·Brief comments | 第31-32页 |
| ·Studies on the relation between basic symbol and metaphor | 第32-36页 |
| ·Related studies on metaphor | 第32-34页 |
| ·Overview | 第33页 |
| ·Cognitive approaches to metaphor | 第33页 |
| ·The notion of metaphoricity | 第33-34页 |
| ·The relation between basic symbol and metaphor | 第34-35页 |
| ·Brief comments | 第35-36页 |
| Chapter Three Classification and Features of Basic Symbol | 第36-56页 |
| ·Introduction | 第36页 |
| ·Classification of basic symbol | 第36-46页 |
| ·Classification by structure | 第37-41页 |
| ·Attribute of basic symbol | 第37-39页 |
| ·Form of basic symbol | 第39-40页 |
| ·Structure of symbolic meaning | 第40-41页 |
| ·Classification by origin | 第41-42页 |
| ·Classification by connotation and function | 第42-46页 |
| ·Cultural concept | 第43-45页 |
| ·Social value | 第45页 |
| ·Religious faith | 第45-46页 |
| ·Individual mentality | 第46页 |
| ·Features of symbolism and basic symbol | 第46-54页 |
| ·General properties of symbolism | 第46-47页 |
| ·Features of basic symbol | 第47-54页 |
| ·Universality and particularity | 第47-51页 |
| ·Synchronicity and diachronicity | 第51-52页 |
| ·Emotiveness and indirectness | 第52-53页 |
| ·Situation-dependence and levels of meanings | 第53-54页 |
| ·Summary | 第54-56页 |
| Chapter Four Basic Symbol and Its Metaphorical and Metonymic Mechanism | 第56-71页 |
| ·Introduction | 第56页 |
| ·The formation of basic symbol | 第56-59页 |
| ·The instinctive life need—the basic condition | 第56-57页 |
| ·Directional projection—the basic mode | 第57-58页 |
| ·Metaphoricity-based selection—the inner motivation | 第58页 |
| ·Association—necessity for basic symbol interpretation | 第58-59页 |
| ·The operating mechanism of basic symbolism—metaphorcity | 第59-69页 |
| ·Symbolism and metaphoricity | 第59-60页 |
| ·Metaphorical mechanism based symbol | 第60-63页 |
| ·Metaphor—resemblance-based relationship | 第60-61页 |
| ·Metaphorical basic symbol | 第61-63页 |
| ·Metonymic mechanism | 第63-66页 |
| ·Metonymy—Contiguity-based relationship | 第63页 |
| ·Metonymic basic symbol | 第63-66页 |
| ·Significance of metaphorical and metonymic basic symbol | 第66-69页 |
| ·Historical aspect | 第66-67页 |
| ·Language and word | 第67页 |
| ·Emotional effect | 第67-68页 |
| ·Understanding of the world | 第68-69页 |
| ·Social and cultural value | 第69页 |
| ·Summary | 第69-71页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusi | 第71-75页 |
| ·Introduction | 第71页 |
| ·Brief summaries of major findings | 第71-73页 |
| ·Suggestion for further studies | 第73-75页 |
| ·More linguistic studies of cultural and conventional basic symbols | 第73页 |
| ·More studies on the differences and similarities of symbolism in the West and the East | 第73-75页 |
| Bibliography | 第75-80页 |
