| Acknowledgements | 第4-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-13页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第13-23页 |
| 1.1 Rationale of the Research | 第13-15页 |
| 1.2 Research Questions and Significance | 第15-18页 |
| 1.2.1 Research Questions | 第15-17页 |
| 1.2.2 Significance of the Research | 第17-18页 |
| 1.3 Research Methodology and Research Corpus | 第18-21页 |
| 1.3.1 Research Methodology | 第18页 |
| 1.3.2 Research Corpus | 第18-21页 |
| 1.4 Outline of the Thesis | 第21-23页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第23-37页 |
| 2.1 The Definition of Humor | 第23-24页 |
| 2.2 The Classification of Humor | 第24-25页 |
| 2.3 Humor Researches at home and abroad | 第25-37页 |
| 2.3.1 Humor Researches abroad | 第25-33页 |
| 2.3.1.1 Traditional Theory of Verbal Humor | 第25-29页 |
| 2.3.1.2 Modern Linguistic Research on Verbal Humor | 第29-33页 |
| 2.3.2 Humor Researches at Home | 第33-37页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Framework of the thesis | 第37-47页 |
| 3.1 A General Study on Relevance Theory | 第37-44页 |
| 3.1.1 Ostensive-inferential Communication Model | 第39-40页 |
| 3.1.2 Relevance and Degree of Relevance | 第40-41页 |
| 3.1.3 The Principle of Relevance | 第41-43页 |
| 3.1.4 Dynamic Context | 第43-44页 |
| 3.2 Relevance and Verbal Humor | 第44-46页 |
| 3.3 Summary | 第46-47页 |
| Chapter Four Relevance-Theoretical Analysis of Verbal Humor Generation andInterpretation in Sitcoms | 第47-104页 |
| 4.1 Relevance-Theoretical Analysis of Verbal Humor Generation in Sitcoms | 第48-80页 |
| 4.1.1 Ostensive-inferential Process and Generation of Verbal Humor inSitcoms | 第48-59页 |
| 4.1.1.1 Ostensive-inferential Model in Verbal Humor Generation | 第48-49页 |
| 4.1.1.2 Analysis of Verbal Humor Caused by the Contrast betweenInformative Intention and Communicative Intention | 第49-59页 |
| 4.1.2 Degree of Relevance and Generation of Verbal Humor in Sitcoms | 第59-70页 |
| 4.1.2.1 Contrast between Maximal Relevance and Optimal Relevance inVerbal Humor Generation | 第59-60页 |
| 4.1.2.2 Analysis of Verbal Humor in Sitcoms Caused by the Contrastbetween Maximal Relevance and Optimal Relevance | 第60-70页 |
| 4.1.3 Context and Verbal Humor Generation | 第70-80页 |
| 4.1.3.1 Cognitive Environment and Generation of Verbal Humor inSitcoms | 第70-71页 |
| 4.1.3.2 Analysis of Verbal Humor in Sitcoms Caused by the Non-mutualCognitive Environment | 第71-80页 |
| 4.2 Relevance-Theoretical Analysis of Verbal Humor Interpretation in Sitcoms | 第80-102页 |
| 4.2.1 Ostensive-inferential Process and Verbal Humor Interpretation | 第80-86页 |
| 4.2.1.1 Ostension and Inference in Verbal Humor Interpretation | 第80-81页 |
| 4.2.1.2 Interpretation of Verbal Humor in Sitcoms by Inferring theCommunicative Intention | 第81-86页 |
| 4.2.2 Degree of Relevance and Verbal Humor Interpretation | 第86-94页 |
| 4.2.2.1 Processing Efforts and Contextual Efforts in Verbal HumorInterpretation | 第86页 |
| 4.2.2.2 Interpretation of Verbal Humor in Sitcoms by Eliminating theContrast between Maximal and Optimal Relevance | 第86-94页 |
| 4.2.3 Dynamic Context and Interpretation of Verbal Humor in Sitcoms | 第94-102页 |
| 4.2.3.1 Dynamic Context in Verbal Humor Interpretation | 第94-95页 |
| 4.2.3.2 Interpetation of Verbal Humor Comprehension in Sitcoms byAltering the Context | 第95-102页 |
| 4.3 Summary | 第102-104页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第104-109页 |
| 5.1 Major Findings of the Thesis | 第105-107页 |
| 5.2 Limitations of the Thesis | 第107页 |
| 5.3 Suggestions for the Further Study | 第107-109页 |
| Bibliography | 第109-114页 |
| Appendix Ⅰ | 第114-115页 |
| Appendix Ⅱ | 第115-116页 |
| Appendix Ⅲ | 第116-117页 |
| 攻读硕士学位期间主要研究成果 | 第117-118页 |
