| Acknowledgements | 第1-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-8页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第8-12页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第12-22页 |
| ·Speech Act Theory,Indirect Speech Act Theory and Indirectness | 第12-16页 |
| ·Speech Act Theory | 第12-13页 |
| ·Indirect Speech Act Theory—Searle's Development of Speech Act Theory | 第13-14页 |
| ·Indirect Speech Act and Indirectness | 第14-16页 |
| ·Theories of Politeness Studies | 第16-20页 |
| ·Brown & Levinson's Face Theory | 第16-18页 |
| ·Leech's Politeness Principles(PP) | 第18-20页 |
| ·A Critical View | 第20-22页 |
| Chapter Two Interpretation of Indirectness | 第22-35页 |
| ·Notion of Indirectness? | 第22-23页 |
| ·Linguistic Features of Indirect Speech | 第23-24页 |
| ·Classification of Indirect Speech | 第24-26页 |
| ·Motivations of Indirect Speech | 第26-30页 |
| ·Be Polite | 第26-27页 |
| ·Be Interesting | 第27页 |
| ·Increasing the Force or "Impact" | 第27-28页 |
| ·Competing Goals | 第28页 |
| ·Increasing the Variability of the Language | 第28-29页 |
| ·Be of Aesthetic Consideration | 第29页 |
| ·Be of Infinity of Dynamic Presuppositions | 第29-30页 |
| ·Factors Affecting the Application of Indirectness | 第30-33页 |
| ·Culture | 第30-31页 |
| ·Power over Interlocutors | 第31-32页 |
| ·Impositions and Obligations | 第32-33页 |
| ·Summary | 第33-35页 |
| Chapter Three Understanding Politeness | 第35-46页 |
| ·The Definition of Politeness | 第35-37页 |
| ·The Features of Politeness | 第37-38页 |
| ·Degree of Politeness | 第38-39页 |
| ·The Determination Factors of Politeness | 第39-44页 |
| ·Cultural Influence | 第40-42页 |
| ·Contextual Influences | 第42-44页 |
| ·Summary | 第44-46页 |
| Chapter Four Relationship between Indirectness and Politeness | 第46-55页 |
| ·Contradictions | 第46-49页 |
| ·Politeness as Cognitive Expectation | 第49-51页 |
| ·Relationship between Indirectness and Politeness | 第51-55页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第55-58页 |
| Bibliography | 第58-61页 |
