| 摘要 | 第1-7页 |
| Abstract | 第7-9页 |
| Contents | 第9-12页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第12-20页 |
| ·Introduction | 第12-13页 |
| ·Rationale of this research | 第13-16页 |
| ·Objectives and research questions of this research | 第16-17页 |
| ·Notes on methodology and data collection | 第17-18页 |
| ·Structure of this thesis | 第18-20页 |
| Chapter Two Review of related literature | 第20-31页 |
| ·Introduction | 第20页 |
| ·Terminological issues | 第20-23页 |
| ·Initiation and response,initiator and responder | 第20-21页 |
| ·Distinctions between daily responses and courtroom responses | 第21-23页 |
| ·Review of relevant studies on courtroom responses | 第23-31页 |
| ·Social and anthropological approaches | 第23-25页 |
| ·Pragmatic approach | 第25-27页 |
| ·Legal approach | 第27-29页 |
| ·Achievements and limitations of the previous approaches | 第29-31页 |
| Chapter Three A Description of Theoretical Framework | 第31-49页 |
| ·Introduction | 第31页 |
| ·The delimitation of pragmatic vagueness | 第31-39页 |
| ·Vagueness,generality,ambiguity,fuzziness and indirectness | 第32-35页 |
| ·Pragmatic vagueness,pragmatic ambiguity and pragmatic ambivalence | 第35-37页 |
| ·Working definition of PV | 第37-39页 |
| ·Verschueren's Linguistic Adaptation Theory | 第39-43页 |
| ·LAT's pragmatic perspective | 第39-40页 |
| ·The essence of the adaptation theory | 第40-43页 |
| ·Chinese courtroom setting | 第43-46页 |
| ·Courtroom participants | 第43-44页 |
| ·Courtroom interaction | 第44-46页 |
| ·Description of the theoretical framework of this research | 第46-48页 |
| ·Summary | 第48-49页 |
| Chapter Four Realization of PV in Courtroom Response | 第49-66页 |
| ·Introduction | 第49页 |
| ·Turning to contextual interpretation | 第49-55页 |
| ·Adopting deixis | 第50-54页 |
| ·Understatement | 第54-55页 |
| ·Resorting to vague expressions | 第55-65页 |
| ·Ambiguity | 第56-59页 |
| ·Hedges | 第59-61页 |
| ·Abstract expressions | 第61-65页 |
| ·Summary | 第65-66页 |
| Chapter Five Adaptability of PV in courtroom response | 第66-82页 |
| ·Introduction | 第66页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to courtroom contextual variables | 第66-67页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to social world of courtroom | 第67-73页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to imbalance of power | 第67-70页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to legal rights and legal obligations | 第70-73页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to courtroom responders' mental world | 第73-80页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to motivation of presenting beneficial information | 第73-75页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to motivation of denying damaging information | 第75-78页 |
| ·PV as adaptation to motivation of maintaining good relationship | 第78-80页 |
| ·Summary | 第80-82页 |
| Chapter Six Pragmatic functions and use of PV in courtroom | 第82-96页 |
| ·Introduction | 第82页 |
| ·Pragmatic functions of PV in courtroom response | 第82-90页 |
| ·Masking negative information | 第82-84页 |
| ·Reducing the commitment to the facts | 第84-86页 |
| ·Pretending to satisfy courtroom initiators'questions | 第86-88页 |
| ·Mitigate seriousness of the facts | 第88-90页 |
| ·Variability and pragmatic functions of PV | 第90-91页 |
| ·Courtroom responders' efficient use of PV as a strategy | 第91-94页 |
| ·Summary | 第94-96页 |
| Chapter Seven Conclusion | 第96-101页 |
| ·Introduction | 第96页 |
| ·Summary of major findings | 第96-98页 |
| ·Implications | 第98页 |
| ·Limitations | 第98-99页 |
| ·Suggestions for further research | 第99-101页 |
| References | 第101-105页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第105页 |
