该书以认知语用理论为框架，探讨反讽理解的认识规律和认知过程，揭示其认知语用特征，通过其认知语用特征透视其本质。书中全面评述了迄今为止所作的研究，**评述了反讽回声提述论和伪装论，主张反讽的认知标准应与一般语用原则、外在语用特征及语用策略区分开来，提出：反讽理解是一个多维互动性的推理衍生过程，互通性或共知是反讽理解的认知先决条件。尤其是该书是用英文撰写，对于理解英文反讽语言有帮助。

前言
Foreword & Acknowledgement in English
Flowchart of Irony Recognition
Abbreviations
Chapter One A general description of irony
1.1 My understanding of irony
1.2 Pragmatic classification of irony
1.3 Pragma- linguistic forms to realize irony
1.4 Pragmatic strategies in ironic communication
1.5 Pragmatic forces of irony
1.5.1 Making criticism
1.5.2 Showing power
1.5.3 Saving face
1.5.4 Amusing
1.6 General framework of the study: scope, methodology and objectives
1.7 The use of the terms "speaker/hearer" and other Synonymous terms
Chapter two Previous accounts of irony: A review
2.1 Traditional semantic definition of irony
2.2 Logical refinement of irony definition
2.3 Grice's pragmatic refinement of irony description
2.4 Post - Gricean refinement of irony description
2.4.1 The echoic mention theory of irony
2.4.2 The pretense theory of irony
2.4.3 Resemblances and differences between the mention and pretense theories
2.5 Concluding remarks on the previous accounts of irony
Chapter Three Properties of ironic utterance
3.1 Properties embedded in ironic utterance
3.1.1 Indeterminacy and vagueness of ironical implications
3.1.2 Plurality of ironic interpretation
3.1.3 Extendibility of ironical implication
3.2 Pragma - psychological properties of ironic communication
3.2.1 Pragma- psychological context constituting irony
3.2.2 Pragma - psychological implication of an ironist' s utterance
Chapter Four Mutuality: the precondition for ironic communication and cognition
4.1 Elements constituting mutuality
4.2 Necessity of mutuality in ironic communication
4.3 Possibility of establishing mutuality in ironic communication
4.3.1 Cues indicating mutuality
4.3.2 Mutuality decision criterion in ironic communication
4.4 Summary of Chapters Three and Four
Chapter Five Perception of counter - expectational mismatch as irony triggering
5.1 The echoism hypothesis——irony as echoic interpretation
5.2 The pretense hypothesis——irony as pretense
5.3 An alternative hypothesis——irony as counter-expectationalmismatch
Chapter Six Irony: Misapplication of a critical evaluation
6.1 Irony as a critical evaluation
6.2 Irony as misapplication of a critical evaluation
6.3 Summary of Part Three (Chapters Five and Six)
Chapter Seven Irony cognition and its principle
7.1 The principle of irony cognition
7.2 Recognition of ironic implicatures
7.3 Recognition of ironic impression and attitude
7.4 A brief summary of Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight Irony understanding: Looking back and forward
Notes
Appendix
Bibliography