| Abstract | 第1-6页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第6-9页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第9-13页 |
| ·The Purpose of the Study | 第10页 |
| ·Significance of the Study | 第10-11页 |
| ·Organization of the Study | 第11-13页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第13-20页 |
| ·Research by Western Scholars | 第13-17页 |
| ·Research by Chinese Scholars | 第17-18页 |
| ·Summary | 第18-20页 |
| Chapter 3 Relevance Theory | 第20-36页 |
| ·Relevance | 第20-22页 |
| ·Context and Contextual Effect | 第22-30页 |
| ·Context | 第22-28页 |
| ·Contextual Effect | 第28-30页 |
| ·Optimal Relevance | 第30-32页 |
| ·Ostensive-inferential Communication | 第32-34页 |
| ·Summary | 第34-36页 |
| Chapter 4 Metaphorical Optimization in Discourse | 第36-42页 |
| ·The Working Mechanism of Metaphor | 第36-37页 |
| ·What’s the Descriptive and Interpretative Use of Language | 第36-37页 |
| ·Metaphors as a Descriptive Use of Language | 第37页 |
| ·The Nature of Metaphor | 第37-39页 |
| ·Literal Utterance and Loose Talk | 第37-39页 |
| ·Metaphors as Effort-imposing Loose Talk | 第39页 |
| ·Metaphors as the Optimal Relevance | 第39-40页 |
| ·Summary | 第40-42页 |
| Chapter 5 Metaphorical Comprehension Procedures | 第42-56页 |
| ·On Identification of Explicatures | 第42-46页 |
| ·The Construction of Contextual Assumptions | 第46-51页 |
| ·Activation of Mutually Manifest Contextual Assumptions | 第47-48页 |
| ·The Alternative Activation of Contextual Assumptions | 第48-49页 |
| ·Balance between Full Cognitive Effects and Effective Processing Effort | 第49-50页 |
| ·The Context Extension in the Process of Searching for Optimal | 第50-51页 |
| ·The Deduction of Implicated Conclusion | 第51-53页 |
| ·Summary | 第53-56页 |
| Chapter 6 Conclusion | 第56-62页 |
| ·Summary and Main Findings of this Thesis | 第56-57页 |
| ·Supplement for this Study | 第57-60页 |
| ·Limitations for the Present Study and Suggestions for Further Study | 第60-62页 |
| Bibliography | 第62-66页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第66页 |
