| Acknowledgements | 第1-7页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第7-8页 |
| Abstract | 第8-13页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第13-16页 |
| ·Research Background | 第13-14页 |
| ·Research Questions and Topics | 第14页 |
| ·The Significance of the Study | 第14-15页 |
| ·Thesis Structure | 第15页 |
| ·Data Collection and Methodology | 第15-16页 |
| Chapter 2 An Overview of Humor Researches | 第16-22页 |
| ·Traditional Researches into Humor | 第16-18页 |
| ·Superiority/ Disparagement Theory (Social) | 第16-17页 |
| ·Relief Theory (Psychoanalytical) | 第17页 |
| ·Incongruity Theory (Cognitive) | 第17-18页 |
| ·Modern Researches into Humor | 第18-20页 |
| ·Semantic Script Theory of Humor | 第19页 |
| ·General Theory of Verbal Humor | 第19-20页 |
| ·Limitations of the Previous Researches | 第20-22页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework | 第22-34页 |
| ·Traditional Researches into Metaphor | 第22-25页 |
| ·Substitution Theory | 第22-23页 |
| ·Comparison Theory | 第23-24页 |
| ·Interaction Theory | 第24-25页 |
| ·Modern Researches into Metaphor | 第25-26页 |
| ·The Nature of Conceptual Metaphor | 第25-26页 |
| ·The Structure of Conceptual Metaphor | 第26页 |
| ·The Mechanism of Humorous Metaphor | 第26-34页 |
| ·The Semantic Contradiction and Overlap in Metaphor | 第27-29页 |
| ·The Creativity in Metaphor | 第29-32页 |
| ·Fuzziness of Metaphor | 第32-34页 |
| Chapter 4 The Major Manifestations of Humorous Potential of Metaphor | 第34-66页 |
| ·Grammar-based Metaphor | 第35-38页 |
| ·Image Metaphor | 第38-42页 |
| ·Analogy-based Metaphor | 第42-45页 |
| ·Sustained Metaphor | 第45-48页 |
| ·Multiple Interpretations | 第48-51页 |
| ·Atypical Characteristics of Vehicle or Illogical Vehicle | 第51-53页 |
| ·Polysemy-based Metaphor | 第53-55页 |
| ·Metaphorical Hyperbole | 第55-57页 |
| ·Delayed Ground | 第57-59页 |
| ·Delayed Tenor | 第59-61页 |
| ·Ground Rebuttal | 第61-63页 |
| ·Mixed Metaphor | 第63-66页 |
| Chapter 5 The Findings Concerning Humorous Potential of Different Forms of Metaphor | 第66-76页 |
| ·Comparison between the Humorous Effects of Simile and Metaphor | 第66页 |
| ·Comparison between the Humorous Effects of Simile in the form of LIKE and AS…AS | 第66-67页 |
| ·Comparison of the Humorous Effects between Dead Metaphor and Live Metaphor | 第67-68页 |
| ·Comparison of the Humorous Effects among Different Grammatical Forms of Metaphor | 第68-70页 |
| ·Special Patterns of Humorous Metaphor | 第70-74页 |
| ·The Humorous Effects of Unconventional Metaphor | 第74-76页 |
| Chapter 6 Conclusion | 第76-82页 |
| ·Summary | 第76-77页 |
| ·Suggestions on Formulating Humorous Metaphor | 第77-80页 |
| ·Limitations of the Research | 第80页 |
| ·Suggestions for Further Research | 第80-82页 |
| Bibliography | 第82-85页 |
