| Declaration | 第1-4页 |
| Acknowledgement | 第4-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第6-7页 |
| Table of Contents | 第7-10页 |
| Chapter Ⅰ Introduction | 第10-18页 |
| ·Definition of Public Signs | 第10-12页 |
| ·The research background | 第12-13页 |
| ·The rationale and significance of the present study | 第13-14页 |
| ·Objectives and research questions | 第14-15页 |
| ·Data collection and Research Methodology | 第15-16页 |
| ·Structure of the Thesis | 第16-18页 |
| Chapter Ⅱ Literature Review | 第18-26页 |
| ·The history of Chinese-English translation of public signs | 第18-19页 |
| ·The previous researches | 第19-23页 |
| ·Researches on the linguistic features of English PSs | 第20页 |
| ·The empirical researches on the C-E translation of PSs | 第20-22页 |
| ·The theoretical researches on the C-E translation of PSs | 第22-23页 |
| ·The limitations in previous researches | 第23-24页 |
| ·The theoretical potential of the present study | 第24-26页 |
| Chapter Ⅲ Theoretical Framework | 第26-38页 |
| ·Verschueren's Adaptation Theory | 第26-31页 |
| ·Language use as a process of choice-making | 第27页 |
| ·The properties of language: Variability, Negotiability and Adaptability | 第27-31页 |
| ·Variability | 第28-29页 |
| ·Negotiability | 第29-30页 |
| ·Adaptability | 第30-31页 |
| ·The four angles of pragmatic investigation | 第31-33页 |
| ·The explanatory power of Adaptation Theory for translation | 第33-37页 |
| ·Translation as a process of choice-making | 第33-35页 |
| ·Translation as a process of adaptation | 第35-37页 |
| ·Adaptation Theory and the Chinese-English translation of public signs | 第37-38页 |
| Chapter Ⅳ Contrastive Study on Chinese and English Public Signs | 第38-57页 |
| ·The Functions of Public Signs | 第38-39页 |
| ·The categories of public signs | 第39-44页 |
| ·Directive signs | 第39-40页 |
| ·Caution-arousing signs | 第40-41页 |
| ·Restricting signs | 第41页 |
| ·Warning signs | 第41-42页 |
| ·Instructional signs | 第42-43页 |
| ·Regulatory signs | 第43-44页 |
| ·Advocating signs | 第44页 |
| ·The similarities between Chinese and English PSs | 第44-50页 |
| ·Directness and conciseness | 第45-46页 |
| ·Conventionalization | 第46页 |
| ·Conspicuousness | 第46-47页 |
| ·Combining lettering and pictures | 第47-48页 |
| ·Use of nouns or nominal phrases | 第48页 |
| ·Use of Verbs or Verbal Phrases | 第48-49页 |
| ·Use of Imperative sentences | 第49-50页 |
| ·Use of Present Tense | 第50页 |
| ·The differences in the features of Chinese-English public signs | 第50-56页 |
| ·Differences at structural level | 第50-53页 |
| ·Prepositional phrases in English PSs | 第51页 |
| ·The "No +..." Structure in English PSs | 第51-52页 |
| ·The ".... + only" structure in English PSs | 第52页 |
| ·The "nouns/nominal phrases+v-ed" structure in English PSs | 第52-53页 |
| ·The four-character expressions/phrases and parallel structures in Chinese PSs | 第53页 |
| ·Differences at rhetorical level | 第53-54页 |
| ·"Static" English PSs vs. "Dynamic" Chinese PSs | 第54-55页 |
| ·The different cultural elements reflected in public signs | 第55-56页 |
| ·Summary | 第56-57页 |
| Chapter Ⅴ Adaptation in the Chinese-English Translation of Public Signs | 第57-80页 |
| ·Linguistic Adaptation | 第58-72页 |
| ·Structural Adaptation | 第58-69页 |
| ·Lexical orientation | 第58-62页 |
| ·Semantic Orientation | 第62-63页 |
| ·Syntactical Orientation | 第63-69页 |
| ·Unique structural forms in English PSs | 第63-66页 |
| ·Sentence patterns in regulatory signs | 第66-69页 |
| ·Adaptation to conciseness of English PSs | 第69-72页 |
| ·Extra-linguistic Adaptation | 第72-79页 |
| ·Adaptation to the physical world | 第72-74页 |
| ·Adaptation to the target reader's social-cultural elements | 第74-79页 |
| ·Beliefs | 第75-77页 |
| ·Morality | 第77-79页 |
| ·Summary | 第79-80页 |
| Chapter Ⅵ Conclusion | 第80-83页 |
| ·A general summary | 第80-81页 |
| ·Limitations and suggestions for future research | 第81-83页 |
| Bibliography | 第83-86页 |
