| Acknowledgments | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-8页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-11页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第11-15页 |
| ·Background of the Study | 第11页 |
| ·Significance of the Study | 第11-12页 |
| ·Data Collection and Research Methodology | 第12页 |
| ·Outline of the Thesis | 第12-15页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第15-23页 |
| ·The Study of Metonymy in Traditional Rhetorics | 第15-16页 |
| ·The Study of Metonymy from Structuralism and Pragmatics Theories | 第16-18页 |
| ·The Study of Metonymy in Cognitive Theories | 第18-21页 |
| ·Research on the Nature of Metonymy | 第18-19页 |
| ·Studies on Cognitive Functioning Mechanism and Classification | 第19-21页 |
| ·The Study of Metonymy from Relevance Theory | 第21-22页 |
| ·Summary | 第22-23页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework | 第23-31页 |
| ·Ostensive-inferential Communication | 第23-24页 |
| ·The Principle of Relevance | 第24-26页 |
| ·Cognitive Environment and Mutual Manifestness | 第26-29页 |
| ·Summary | 第29-31页 |
| Chapter 4 Analysis of Metonymy Use and Inference from the Perspective of Optimal Relevance | 第31-51页 |
| ·Optimal Relevance | 第31-32页 |
| ·The Role of Optimal Relevance in Metonymy Context Selection | 第32-42页 |
| ·Optimal Relevance in Low-level Metonymy Context Selection | 第33-39页 |
| ·Optimal Relevance in High-level Metonymy Context Selection | 第39-42页 |
| ·The Role of Optimal Relevance in the Reader’ inference of Metonymy | 第42-50页 |
| ·Optimal Relevance in the Reader’ inference in Low-level Metonymy | 第42-46页 |
| ·Optimal Relevance in the Readers’ inference in High-level Metonymy | 第46-50页 |
| ·Summary | 第50-51页 |
| Chapter 5 The Analysis of Metonymy Use and Inference from the Perspective of Mutual Cognitive Environment | 第51-71页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment | 第51-53页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment in the Author’s Estimation of the Reader’s Metonymy Cognitive Environment | 第53-59页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment in the Comprehension of Low-level Metonymy | 第54-56页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment in the Comprehension of High-level Metonymy | 第56-59页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment in the Reader’ inference of Metonymy | 第59-66页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment in the Reader’ inference in Low-level Metonymy | 第59-63页 |
| ·Mutual Cognitive Environment in the Reader’ inference in High-level Metonymy | 第63-66页 |
| ·Constrains in Metonymy Use and Inference | 第66-69页 |
| ·Word Selection Constrains on the Semantic Level | 第66-68页 |
| ·Utterance Selection Constrains on the Pragmatic Level | 第68-69页 |
| ·Summary | 第69-71页 |
| Chapter 6 Conclusion | 第71-73页 |
| ·Major Findings | 第71-72页 |
| ·Limitations and Suggestions of the Research | 第72-73页 |
| Bibliography | 第73-77页 |
| Appendix A | 第77-79页 |
| Appendix B | 第79-81页 |
