| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 第4-5页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第5-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-13页 |
| CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION | 第13-19页 |
| 1.1 Overview | 第13-15页 |
| 1.2 Rationale of the Study | 第15-16页 |
| 1.3 Objective and Research Questions | 第16-17页 |
| 1.4 Methodology and Data Collection | 第17页 |
| 1.5 Organization of the Thesis | 第17-19页 |
| CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW | 第19-37页 |
| 2.1 Previous Studies on Application of Cooperative Principle in Legal Language | 第19-26页 |
| 2.1.1 A Brief Outline of Grice’s Theory | 第19-21页 |
| 2.1.2 Sinclair’s Application of Grice’s Theory in Legal Interpretation | 第21-26页 |
| 2.2 Previous Studies on Contractual Disputes Resolution | 第26-29页 |
| 2.2.1 Common Contractual Dispute Resolution Methods | 第26-27页 |
| 2.2.2 Resolution of Contractual Disputes in the PRC | 第27-28页 |
| 2.2.3 Practical Inclusive Methods of Interpretation | 第28-29页 |
| 2.3 Bhatia’s Overview on Discourse Analysis | 第29-33页 |
| 2.3.1 Textualization of Lexico-grammar | 第30-31页 |
| 2.3.2 Organization of Discourse | 第31-32页 |
| 2.3.3 Contextulization of Discourse | 第32-33页 |
| 2.4 Previous Studies on Linguistic Indeterminacy | 第33-36页 |
| 2.4.1 Studies on Linguistic Ambiguity | 第33-35页 |
| 2.4.2 Studies on Linguistic Vagueness | 第35-36页 |
| 2.5 Summary | 第36-37页 |
| CHAPTER THREE THEORETICAL BASIS AND ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK | 第37-55页 |
| 3.1 Key Concepts | 第37-40页 |
| 3.1.1 Contract | 第37页 |
| 3.1.2 Contested Meaning in Contractual Dispute | 第37-38页 |
| 3.1.3 Interpretation of Contract | 第38-39页 |
| 3.1.4 Forensic Linguistic Approach | 第39页 |
| 3.1.5 Literal Approach and Liberal Approach | 第39-40页 |
| 3.2 Linguistic Causes of Contested Meaning in Disputed Contracts | 第40-45页 |
| 3.2.1 Contract Compared with Conversation | 第40-42页 |
| 3.2.2 Application of Grice’s Conversational Maxims to Contract Discourse | 第42-44页 |
| 3.2.2.1 The Maxim of Manner | 第42-43页 |
| 3.2.2.2 The Maxim of Quantity | 第43页 |
| 3.2.2.3 The Maxim of Quality | 第43页 |
| 3.2.2.4 The Maxim of Relevance | 第43-44页 |
| 3.2.3 The Formation of Contested Meaning | 第44-45页 |
| 3.3 Linguistic Approaches to Contested Meaning | 第45-51页 |
| 3.3.1 Bhatia’s Theory about Discourse Analysis | 第45-48页 |
| 3.3.2 Literal and Liberal Approaches to Contested Meaning: A Hermeneutics-basedResolution | 第48-51页 |
| 3.3.2.1 Literal Interpretation | 第49-50页 |
| 3.3.2.2 Liberal Interpretation | 第50-51页 |
| 3.4 Construction of Analytical Framework | 第51-54页 |
| 3.5 Summary | 第54-55页 |
| CHAPTER FOUR ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC FACTORS LEADING TO CONTESTED MEANINGS IN CONTRACTS | 第55-65页 |
| 4.1 Contested Meaning Attributable to Linguistic Ambiguity and Vagueness | 第55-58页 |
| 4.2 Contested Meaning Attributable to Insufficient Information | 第58-60页 |
| 4.3 Contested Meaning Inconsistent with Real Intention of Contracting Parties | 第60-61页 |
| 4.4 Contested Meaning with Unrelated Meaning with Contractual Purpose | 第61-62页 |
| 4.5 Summary | 第62-65页 |
| CHAPTER FIVE A LITERAL ANALYSIS OF CONTESTED MEANING IN DISPUTED CONTRACTS | 第65-77页 |
| 5.1 Analysis of Contested Meaning Caused by Lexical Indeterminacy | 第65-68页 |
| 5.1.1 Analysis of Contested Meaning Caused by Notional Words with More than OneMeaning | 第65-66页 |
| 5.1.2 Analysis of Contested Meaning Caused by Heteronyms | 第66-67页 |
| 5.1.3 Analysis of Contested Meaning Caused by Function Words with More than OneMeaning | 第67-68页 |
| 5.2. Analysis of Contested Meaning Caused by Syntactic Indeterminacy | 第68-76页 |
| 5.2.1 Contested Meaning Caused by Pronouns with Ambiguity | 第68-70页 |
| 5.2.2 Ambiguity Caused by Absence of Necessary Elements | 第70-71页 |
| 5.2.3 Contested Meaning Caused by Improper Ellipsis | 第71-72页 |
| 5.2.4 Contested Meaning Caused by Unclear Modifying Relationship | 第72-76页 |
| 5.2.4.1 Contested Meaning Caused by Unclear Attribute Modifying Relationship | 第73-74页 |
| 5.2.4.2 Contested Meaning Caused by Unclear Adverbial Modifying Relationship | 第74-75页 |
| 5.2.4.3 Contested Meaning Caused by Misuse of Punctuation | 第75-76页 |
| 5.3 Summary | 第76-77页 |
| CHAPTER SIX A LIBRAL ANALYSIS OF CONTESTEDMEANING IN DISPUTED CONTRACTS | 第77-83页 |
| 6.1 Analysis of Co-text in Disputed Contracts | 第77-79页 |
| 6.2 Analysis of Special Context of Professional Words | 第79页 |
| 6.3 Analysis with Consideration of Conventions | 第79-80页 |
| 6.4 Analysis of the Consensus of Contracting Parties | 第80页 |
| 6.5 Analysis of the Cultural and Social Background of Contracting Parties | 第80-81页 |
| 6.6 Summary | 第81-83页 |
| CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSION | 第83-87页 |
| 7.1 Overview of the Present Study | 第83页 |
| 7.2 Findings | 第83-85页 |
| 7.3 Implications | 第85页 |
| 7.4 Limitations | 第85-86页 |
| 7.5 Suggestions for Future Research | 第86-87页 |
| REFERENCES | 第87-91页 |
| APPENDIX | 第91-92页 |
