| Acknowledgements | 第4-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5页 |
| 摘要 | 第6-11页 |
| 1. Introduction | 第11-16页 |
| 1.1 Research Background | 第11-13页 |
| 1.2. Objectives and Significance | 第13-15页 |
| 1.3. Organization of the Thesis | 第15-16页 |
| 2. Literature Review | 第16-27页 |
| 2.1. Disagreement as a Preferred or Dispreferred Act | 第17-18页 |
| 2.2. Disagreement Research in Different Cultures | 第18-22页 |
| 2.3. Disagreement Research in Different Contexts | 第22-26页 |
| 2.4. Summary | 第26-27页 |
| 3. Research Methodology | 第27-64页 |
| 3.1. Research Questions | 第27-28页 |
| 3.2. Data Collection | 第28-35页 |
| 3.3. Analytical Framework | 第35-42页 |
| 3.3.1. Politeness Theories | 第35-36页 |
| 3.3.2. The Discursive Approach | 第36-41页 |
| 3.3.3. Speech Act Set Theory | 第41-42页 |
| 3.4. Data Coding | 第42-62页 |
| 3.4.1. Pre-Disagreement Strategies | 第47-51页 |
| 3.4.2. Core-Disagreement Strategies | 第51-53页 |
| 3.4.3. Post-Disagreement Strategies | 第53-55页 |
| 3.4.4. Internal Modification Devices | 第55-62页 |
| 3.4.4.1. Softening Devices | 第56-59页 |
| 3.4.4.2. Strengthening Devices | 第59-62页 |
| 3.5. Analytical Procedures | 第62-64页 |
| 4. Findings | 第64-74页 |
| 4.1. Distribution of Disagreement Strategies in the Data | 第64-67页 |
| 4.2. Distribution of Internal Modification Devices in the Data | 第67-69页 |
| 4.3. Distribution of Core Disagreement Patterns in the Data | 第69-74页 |
| 4.3.1. Cooccurrence of Core Disagreement Strategies and Pre-/Post-Disagreement Strategies | 第70-71页 |
| 4.3.2. Cooccurrence of Different Core Disagreement Strategies andSoftening/Strengthening Devices | 第71-74页 |
| 5. Discussions | 第74-83页 |
| 5.1. Chinese Officials'Disagreement Strategies | 第74-78页 |
| 5.2. Higher Rank Officials'Preference for Explicitness and Post-DisagreementJustifications | 第78-80页 |
| 5.3. Lower Rank Officials'Preference for Pre-Disagreement Strategies | 第80-81页 |
| 5.4. Differences in the Use of Internal Modification Devices | 第81-83页 |
| 6. Conclusions | 第83-88页 |
| References | 第88-100页 |
| Appendix Ⅰ Coding Scheme | 第100-102页 |
| Appendix Ⅱ List of Characters and Titles | 第102-104页 |
| Appendix Ⅲ Coded Disagreements | 第104-120页 |
