| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-7页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第7-9页 |
| Table of Contents | 第9-11页 |
| List of Tables | 第11-12页 |
| CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION | 第12-16页 |
| ·Background of the study | 第12-14页 |
| ·Significance of the study | 第14页 |
| ·Research objectives | 第14-15页 |
| ·The organization of the paper | 第15-16页 |
| CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW | 第16-26页 |
| ·Hedges | 第16-18页 |
| ·The definitions of hedges | 第16-17页 |
| ·Definition of political news | 第17-18页 |
| ·The causes of the vagueness phenomenon in language | 第18-19页 |
| ·Relevant studies abroad | 第19-20页 |
| ·Relevant studies at home | 第20-22页 |
| ·Relevant pragmatic theories applied in the study | 第22-24页 |
| ·Politeness Principle | 第22-23页 |
| ·Face-saving Theory | 第23页 |
| ·Interpersonal Function | 第23-24页 |
| ·Summary | 第24-26页 |
| CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH DESIGN | 第26-30页 |
| ·Research questions | 第26页 |
| ·Data collection | 第26-27页 |
| ·Research methodology and procedures | 第27页 |
| ·The criteria for this research | 第27-29页 |
| ·Working definition of hedges | 第27页 |
| ·Working classifications of hedges | 第27-29页 |
| ·Summary | 第29-30页 |
| CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION | 第30-48页 |
| ·Frequency of hedges in selected English and Chinese political news reports | 第30-33页 |
| ·Linguistic realizations of hedges in English and Chinese political news reports | 第33-43页 |
| ·Linguistic realizations of adaptors | 第33-37页 |
| ·Linguistic Realizations of rounders | 第37-38页 |
| ·Linguistic realizations of plausibility shields | 第38-41页 |
| ·Linguistic realizations of attribution shields | 第41-43页 |
| ·Latent causes for the similarities and differences in English and Chinese | 第43-44页 |
| ·Interpersonal functions of hedges in English and Chinese political news reports | 第44-45页 |
| ·Summary | 第45-48页 |
| CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS | 第48-52页 |
| ·Major findings of the study | 第48-49页 |
| ·Similarities of hedges in selected English and Chinese political news reports | 第48页 |
| ·Differences of hedges in English and Chinese political news reports | 第48-49页 |
| ·Implications of the study | 第49-50页 |
| ·Limitations of the study | 第50页 |
| ·Suggestions for the future study | 第50-51页 |
| ·Summary | 第51-52页 |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | 第52-56页 |
| 攻读学位期间发表的论文目录 | 第56-57页 |
