| Acknowledgements | 第4-7页 |
| Abstract | 第7-8页 |
| 内容摘要 | 第9-11页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第11-16页 |
| 1.1 Research background | 第11-13页 |
| 1.2 Objectives of the study | 第13-14页 |
| 1.3 Significance of the study | 第14页 |
| 1.4 Layout of the thesis | 第14-16页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第16-25页 |
| 2.1 Speech act theory and indirect speech act | 第16-18页 |
| 2.1.1 Speech act theory | 第16-17页 |
| 2.1.2 Indirect speech act | 第17-18页 |
| 2.2 Refusal speech act | 第18-21页 |
| 2.2.1 Definition of refus al speech act | 第18-19页 |
| 2.2.2 Categorization of refusal speech act | 第19-21页 |
| 2.3 Previous studies on refusal speech act | 第21-24页 |
| 2.3.1 Pragmatic approach | 第21-22页 |
| 2.3.2 Cross-cultural approach | 第22-24页 |
| 2.4 Summary | 第24-25页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Foundation | 第25-35页 |
| 3.1 Theory of conceptual metonymy | 第25-26页 |
| 3.2 Speech act metonymy theory | 第26-29页 |
| 3.2.1 Action scenario theory | 第27-28页 |
| 3.2.2 Types of speech act metonymies | 第28-29页 |
| 3.3 Matrix domain of metonymy | 第29-34页 |
| 3.3.1 Ruizde Mendoza and Otal's view on matrix domain of metonymy | 第29-31页 |
| 3.3.2 Other kinds of matrix domain of metonymy | 第31-34页 |
| 3.4 Summary | 第34-35页 |
| Chapter Four The Metonymic Operation of Indirect Refusal Speech Acts in Modern Chinese | 第35-53页 |
| 4.1 Metonymic interpretation of indirect refusal speech acts in modern Chinese | 第35-43页 |
| 4.1.1 The operation of single metonymy in indirect refusal speech acts in modern chinese | 第35-36页 |
| 4.1.2 The operation of matrix domain metonymy in indirect refusal speech acts in modern chinese | 第36-43页 |
| 4.1.2.1 The operation of double-domain metonymy in indirect refusal speech acts | 第36-39页 |
| 4.1.2.2 The operation of other kinds of matrix domain metonymy in indirect refusal speech acts | 第39-43页 |
| 4.2 The role of context in the matrix domain metonymic operation | 第43-45页 |
| 4.3 Factors influencing the matrix domain metonymic operation | 第45-47页 |
| 4.4 Metonymy chains in indirect refusal speech acts in modern Chinese | 第47-51页 |
| 4.4.1 Metonymy chains reflected in indirect-direct refusal speech acts | 第48-49页 |
| 4.4.2 Metonymy chains reflected in direct-indirect refusal speech acts | 第49-51页 |
| 4.5 Summary | 第51-53页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第53-56页 |
| 5.1 Major findings | 第53-54页 |
| 5.2 Limitations and suggestions for the further research | 第54-56页 |
| References | 第56-59页 |
