During the process of the completion of this tfiesis, I have received muchguidance, help and support from many people. Here I'd like to extend my sinceregratitude.
Firstly, I am greatly indebted to my supervisor Song Hongbo for his enlighteningguidance and valuable advice through the entire process from preparation toaccomplishment. Without his great patience and constant encouragement, theaccomplishment of this thesis wouldn't have been possible. I am also deeplyimpressed by his strong sense of responsibility and professional dedication, which hasnot only taught me how to do academic research but also set a good example for myfuture work.
Secondly, many thanks go to all the other teachers who have taught me duringmy postgraduate period. Their lively and enlightening lectures have enriched myknowledge in linguistics, academic writing, statistics, and translation and so on. Alsomy heartfelt thanks go to my friends and classmates, who offer me great support andhelp in data collection, thesis writing and so on.
Last but not the least, I'd like to give my special thanks to my beloved parents,my elder sister,my wife, and my newly born son Leo, who have always stood by meand brought me much joy.
This thesis would not have been completed without much assistance,encouragement and support from many people. I want sincerely to avail thisopportunity to express my cordial thanks to those who have granted me invaluableinstructions during the process of thesis writing.
First and foremost, I extend my greatest gratitude to Professor Hongbo Song,myadvisor and supervisor, for his insightful guidance and earnest help. He advised me tothink over the selection of the subject and to carry out a series of relevant research at avery early time; and during the process of writing,he spent a lot of time guiding me ina right direction and provided many useful suggestions. It is under his strenuous helpthat I could complete this thesis in time.
Moreover, my sincere thanks go to my teachers in the School of ForeignLanguages at Zhejiang Gongshang University. They provide me with a wonderfullearning environment where I learn and grow up for their tireless instructions that willdefinitely exert a deep influence on my later life.
Besides, I express my gratitude to my friends and fellow classmates. They sharetheir knowledge with me and help me out when I am faced with any difficulties aboutthe thesis. They have tried their best to give me their precious suggestions during theprocess of writing the thesis.
Last but not least, I am deeply in debt to my beloved parents for theirencouragement, understanding and endless love during my life. They have created thebest environment for me to focus on the thesis writing during the winter holiday, andall this could not be possible without their selfless sacrifice and persistent support.