刘向（约公元前77年-公元前6年），原名更生，字子政，西汉楚国彭城人，祖籍秦泗水郡丰县，汉朝宗室，先祖为丰县刘邦异母弟刘交。

刘向是西汉经学家、目录学家、文学家、史学家，其散文主要是秦疏和校雠古书的叙录。

刘向的诗词全集： 郑同北见赵王　 人有卖骏马者　 吴王欲伐荆　 南辕北辙　 荆轲刺秦王　 千金求马　 叶公好龙　 齐桓公登门访士　 古代寓言千里马　古之君人，有以千金求千里马者，三年不能得。

涓人言于君曰：“请求之。

”君遣之，三月得千里马，马已死，买其首五百金，反以报君。

君大怒曰：“所求者生马，安事死马，而捐五百金。

”涓人对曰：“死马且买之五百金，况生马乎？

天下必以王为能市马，马今至矣。

”于是不能期年，千里之马至者三。

—— 战国策　Buying a Good HorseThere was a king who was willing to pay a thousand pieces of gold for a horse that could run a thousand li without stopping.

For three years he tried in vain to find such a steed.

Then someone offered: “let me look for a horse for your Majesty.

”Then king agreed to this.

After three months this man came back, having spent five hundred pieces of gold on a horse's skull.

The king was most enraged.

“I want a live horse!

” he roared.

“What use is a dead horse to me?

Why spend fiver hundred pieces of gold on nothing?

”But the man replied: “If you will spend five hundred pieces of gold on a dead horse, won't you give much more for a live one?

When people hear of this, they will know you are really willing to pay for a good horse, and will quickly send you their best.

”Sure enough, in less than a year the king succeeded in buying three excellent horses.

--Warring States Anecdotes【双语诗歌翻译|古代寓言·千里马　查看网站：[db:时间]】