| Abstract | 第1-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第6-11页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第11-18页 |
| ·Overview | 第11-13页 |
| ·Rational of the present study | 第13-15页 |
| ·Main issues and questions to be investigated | 第15-16页 |
| ·Data and methodology | 第16-17页 |
| ·Outline of the thesis | 第17-18页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第18-38页 |
| ·Terminological review | 第18-24页 |
| ·Classification of Hedges | 第18-22页 |
| ·Prince's classification of Hedges | 第18-21页 |
| ·Other scholar's classification of Hedges | 第21-22页 |
| ·Classical definitions of vagueness | 第22-24页 |
| ·Historical overview of vagueness research | 第24-35页 |
| ·Mathematical approach | 第24-28页 |
| ·Philosophical approach | 第28-30页 |
| ·Psychological approach | 第30-31页 |
| ·Semantic approach | 第31-33页 |
| ·Pragmatic approach | 第33-35页 |
| ·Achievements and limitations of the previous studies | 第35-37页 |
| ·Focus on the fuzzy meaning of linguistic structures | 第35-36页 |
| ·Static research perspective | 第36页 |
| ·Fragmentary research on vagueness in business contract | 第36-37页 |
| ·Summary | 第37-38页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework | 第38-50页 |
| ·Working definition | 第38-39页 |
| ·Verschueren's theory of linguistic adaptation | 第39-46页 |
| ·A sketch of the theory | 第39-40页 |
| ·Choice—making | 第40-42页 |
| ·Three properties of language | 第42-44页 |
| ·Four angles of investigation | 第44-46页 |
| ·Theory of linguistic adaptation applied in the present study | 第46-48页 |
| ·Vague language as adaptation to contextual correlates | 第46-48页 |
| ·Vague language as adaptation to mental motivations | 第48页 |
| ·Summary | 第48-50页 |
| Chapter 4 Vague Language as Adaptation to Contextual Correlates | 第50-61页 |
| ·General Situations of using vague language | 第50-53页 |
| ·The contractor's inability to be more precise | 第50-51页 |
| ·The contractor's unwillingness to be more precise | 第51-53页 |
| ·Specific contexts of adopting vague language in business contract | 第53-60页 |
| ·Using vague language to adapt to the requirement as a legal document | 第54-55页 |
| ·Using vague language to adapt to the difficulty in communication | 第55-57页 |
| ·Using vague language to adapt to needs and expectations of the changing society | 第57-60页 |
| ·Summary | 第60-61页 |
| Chapter 5 Vague Language as Adaptation to Psychological Motivations | 第61-69页 |
| ·General psychological motivations in using vague language | 第61-62页 |
| ·Vague language as adaptation to psychological motivations in contract | 第62-68页 |
| ·Enhancing objectivity and veracity of business contract | 第63-64页 |
| ·Insuring strictness and completeness of contractual clauses | 第64-65页 |
| ·Making language of contract concise and terse | 第65-66页 |
| ·Enhancing flexibility of a contract in the accurate legal context | 第66-67页 |
| ·Protecting the parties' interests | 第67-68页 |
| ·Summary | 第68-69页 |
| Chapter 6 Conclusion | 第69-74页 |
| ·Major findings | 第69-71页 |
| ·Implications | 第71-72页 |
| ·Limitations of the study | 第72页 |
| ·Suggestions for further study | 第72-74页 |
| References | 第74-81页 |
