| Abstract | 第1-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-8页 |
| Contents | 第8-10页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第10-13页 |
| ·History of Irony | 第10-11页 |
| ·Research Objectives and Significances | 第11页 |
| ·Research Methodology | 第11-12页 |
| ·The Outline of This Paper | 第12-13页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第13-23页 |
| ·Classifications of Irony | 第13-14页 |
| ·Definitions of Verbal Irony | 第14-16页 |
| ·Some Related Approaches to Irony | 第16-21页 |
| ·The Rhetorical Approach | 第16-17页 |
| ·The Psycholinguistic Approach | 第17-18页 |
| ·The Pragmatic Approach | 第18-20页 |
| ·The Cognitive Approach | 第20-21页 |
| ·Summary | 第21-23页 |
| Chapter Three Related Theoretical Frameworks | 第23-37页 |
| ·The Foundation of the Adaptation-Relevance Theory | 第23-31页 |
| ·Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory | 第23-27页 |
| ·Verschueren's Adaptation Theory | 第27-31页 |
| ·The Framework of the Adaptation-Relevance Theory | 第31-36页 |
| ·Language Use as a Process of Relevance-orientation | 第33-34页 |
| ·Language Use as a Process of Participation of Contextual Presumption | 第34页 |
| ·Language Use as a Process of Adaptation | 第34-35页 |
| ·Language Use as a Process of Choice-making Based on Relevance | 第35页 |
| ·Language Use as a Process of Strategy-choosing | 第35-36页 |
| ·Summary | 第36-37页 |
| Chapter Four The Adaptation-Relevance Approach to Irony | 第37-55页 |
| ·Irony as a Process of Relevance-orientation | 第37-39页 |
| ·Irony as a Process of Participation of Contextual Presumption | 第39-40页 |
| ·Irony as a Process of Adaptation | 第40-45页 |
| ·The Adaptation to the Mental World | 第41-42页 |
| ·The Adaptation to the Social World | 第42-44页 |
| ·The Adaptation to the Physical World | 第44-45页 |
| ·Irony as a Process of Choice-making Based on Relevance | 第45-47页 |
| ·Irony as a Process of Strategy-choosing | 第47-54页 |
| ·Praising in order to Blame | 第48-49页 |
| ·Blaming in order to Praise | 第49-51页 |
| ·Pretending Agreement with the Victim | 第51-52页 |
| ·Fallacious Reasoning | 第52-53页 |
| ·Displaying the Incompatibility | 第53页 |
| ·Pretending Self-censure | 第53-54页 |
| ·Summary | 第54-55页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第55-58页 |
| ·The Major Findings of the Study | 第55-56页 |
| ·Research Limitations and Future Suggestions | 第56-58页 |
| Bibliography | 第58-61页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第61页 |
