| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-8页 |
| 内容摘要 | 第8-12页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第12-14页 |
| ·Reasons for the research | 第12-13页 |
| ·The significance of the research | 第13页 |
| ·The structure of the thesis | 第13-14页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第14-25页 |
| ·Studies on humor | 第14-21页 |
| ·Definition of humor | 第14-16页 |
| ·The history of humor | 第16-18页 |
| ·The history of English humor | 第16-17页 |
| ·The history of Chinese humor | 第17-18页 |
| ·Theories of humor | 第18-21页 |
| ·Western theories of humor | 第18-21页 |
| ·Chinese theories of humor | 第21页 |
| ·Study on context | 第21-25页 |
| ·Context of situation and context of culture | 第21-22页 |
| ·High context and low context | 第22-23页 |
| ·Mutual cognitive environment | 第23-25页 |
| Chapter 3 Pragmatic Study on Humor | 第25-42页 |
| ·The co-operative principle (CP) and humor | 第25-30页 |
| ·Violating the maxim of quality | 第26-27页 |
| ·Violating the principle of quantity | 第27-29页 |
| ·Violating the principle of relevance | 第29页 |
| ·Violating the principle of manner | 第29-30页 |
| ·The Relevance Theory (RT) and humor | 第30-38页 |
| ·Incongruity between optimal relevance and maximal relevance | 第31-33页 |
| ·Incongruity between ostension and inferential | 第33-35页 |
| ·Contextual assumption and contextual effects | 第35-38页 |
| ·Chinese pragmatic study on humor | 第38-42页 |
| ·The principle of anomaly | 第38页 |
| ·The principle of relevance | 第38-39页 |
| ·The principle of ingenuity | 第39-40页 |
| ·The principle of delight | 第40-42页 |
| Chapter 4 Cultural Differences in Chinese and English Humor | 第42-64页 |
| ·The root of cultural differences between Chinese and English | 第42-44页 |
| ·History and geography | 第42页 |
| ·Religion and belief | 第42-43页 |
| ·Social system | 第43-44页 |
| ·Divers cultural patterns in Chinese and English culture | 第44-52页 |
| ·Patterns of thought | 第44-47页 |
| ·Deductive VS inductive | 第44-46页 |
| ·Direct VS indirect | 第46-47页 |
| ·Social values | 第47-52页 |
| ·Individualistic VS collective | 第47-49页 |
| ·High-power-distance VS low-power-distance | 第49-52页 |
| ·Exploring cultural differences in Chinese and English humor | 第52-64页 |
| ·Different topics of humor | 第53-60页 |
| ·Topics of English humor | 第53-58页 |
| ·Topics of Chinese humor | 第58-60页 |
| ·Different joking targets | 第60-64页 |
| ·Ethnic jokes in English humor | 第60-62页 |
| ·Self-directed jokes in Chinese and English humor | 第62-64页 |
| Chapter 5 Conclusion | 第64-66页 |
| Bibliography | 第66-69页 |
| Appendix | 第69-81页 |
