| Acknowledgements | 第1-4页 |
| Abstract | 第4-5页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-7页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第7-10页 |
| ·Necessity of the Present Study | 第7-8页 |
| ·Objectives | 第8-9页 |
| ·Organization of the Thesis | 第9-10页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第10-18页 |
| ·A General Review of the Study on Humor | 第10-14页 |
| ·A General Review of the Study on Irony | 第14-17页 |
| ·Ironic Humor | 第17-18页 |
| Chapter Three Relevance Theory—a Way to Interpret Verbal Ironic Humor | 第18-41页 |
| ·The Relevance Theory | 第18-19页 |
| ·Comprehension of Verbal Ironic Humor | 第19-27页 |
| ·Ostensive-inferential Communication Mode | 第19-23页 |
| ·Cognitive Environment | 第23-25页 |
| ·Comprehension Procedures of Verbal Ironic Humor | 第25-27页 |
| ·Interpretation of the Production of Verbal Ironic Humor | 第27-41页 |
| ·Contextual Conflicts | 第27-31页 |
| ·Extra Processing Effort and Humorous Effects | 第31-34页 |
| ·Mismatch in Memory and Perceptual System | 第34-37页 |
| ·Conflict between Maximal Relevance and Optimal Relevance | 第37-41页 |
| Chapter Four Communicative Functions of Verbal Ironic Humor | 第41-48页 |
| ·Communicative Functions of Intended Verbal Ironic Humor | 第41-43页 |
| ·The Advantages of Covert Intention | 第43-48页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第48-50页 |
| Bibliography | 第50-54页 |
| Articles Published | 第54-55页 |
