本书是对美国长篇小说亨利·詹姆斯的《专使》圆周文体研究。亨利·詹姆斯《专使》中圆周句众多从句和插入语的扩展模式是主人公推迟其专使使命结束的方式，圆周结构拖延句法完结和推迟具体指明的战略运用于句式、情节安排与人物刻画诸方面，以创造悬念和模糊效应。对话中的断句和疑问成分反映主人公有意识却迟疑拖延的倾向、抽象且详尽修饰和限制的精神过程和模糊知觉。作家在《专使》中构建了庄重地模糊而抽象的圆周文体，巧妙地突出了小说的情节、人物个性和主题内涵。

Foreword

Acknowledgements

 Chapter Ⅰ Periodic Syntax as Stylistic Choice

Section Ⅰ  Historical Review of Latinising Trends in English Literature

Section Ⅱ Stylistic Analysis of English Periodic Syntax

Section Ⅲ Sample Analysis of John Milton's and Samuel Johnson's Distinctive Periodic Styles

 Chapter Ⅱ Henry James's Grandly Vague and Abstract Periodic Style in The Ambassadors

Section Ⅱ  Henry James's Grandly Vague and Abstract Periodic Style as a Creative Adaptation of Both John Milton's and Samuel Johnson's Periodic Styles

Section Ⅱ Lexical Features in The Ambassador

Section Ⅲ Grammatical Features in The Ambassadors

Section Ⅳ Delayed Specification of Referents in The Ambassadors

Section Ⅴ Sample Analysis of a Narrative Passage from The Ambassadors

Section Ⅵ Characteristics of the Dialogues in The Ambassadors with Sample Analysis

 Chapter Ⅲ Conclusion: Henry James as a Modern Periodic Master

Bibliography

Publications by the Same Author on

The Ambassadors

About the Author--Wang Ling