英文对照赏析：汉光武帝：宽宏大度平易谦和(上）Emperor Guangwu: Broadminded and Humble (Part 1of 2)
两汉末年纷争四起之际，汉光武帝刘秀，顺天意应民声，平息群雄，以柔术治国，统一了分崩离析的中华民族，开创了“光武中兴”的盛世。刘秀为人宽宏大度，非常谦逊，尊重别人，平易近人；从不自以为是，妄自尊大，轻贱他人。因为他这种为人处事的态度，以致他的臣民非常爱戴他，即使对他有成见的人，在同他接触后，也因他的谦虚而投奔他的阵营。
马援是刘秀麾下的一员名将，可是马援原来却是西州大将军隗嚣的人。隗嚣当时占据着河西走廊一带，与东方的刘秀、西南方的公孙述形成鼎足之势。当时隗嚣听说公孙述准备在蜀地称王，于是派马援前去见刘秀和公孙述，以决定自己的去从。
马援与公孙述原先是同乡，小时候就非常要好。这次去见公孙述时，公孙述大摆姿态，处处以帝王身分自居，前呼后拥。在布置好了场面和卫士后，才接见马援。
马援去洛阳见刘秀时，刘秀并没有升堂坐殿，独自一人坐在洛阳宫宣德殿中会见了马援，笑着对马援说：“贵客敢往来于两个皇帝之间，见多识广。今天有幸见到贵客，真是深感荣幸。”
马援见刘秀说话如此谦虚，说道：“当今之世，不但皇帝选择贤臣，而且臣下也会选择贤君。”并疑惑刘秀难道不怕自己是刺客吗？刘秀告诉他，只把他当成位使者，对使者应当以礼相待。
马援回去后，对隗嚣谈起公孙述，认为公孙述只是井底之蛙，处处妄自尊大。而对于刘秀，马援认为他才是真正的帝王之材，赞叹道：“我和光武帝见了数十次面，我们谈得非常投机。光武帝才智过人，勇略无敌；而且推诚相见、无所隐伏、心胸阔达、待人谦逊。”
In the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu (5 BC – 57 AD) followed his heavenly mandate and responded to calls of the people. He quelled uprisings, reunited the Chinese people and established a prosperous era in Chinese history.
Liu Xiu was highly respected by his ministers and people because of his broadmindedness, modesty, respectfulness, and approachability. Unlike despotic rulers, he was never opinionated, conceited, arrogant, or patronizing. Even people who had a bias against him would swear allegiance to him after they got to know him better.
Liu Xiu's right-hand man Ma Yuan (14 BC – 49 AD) had first been a follower of Wei Xiao, a ruling general of the Xizhou region. At the time Wei Xiao on the west, Liu Xiu on the east, and Gongsun Shu on the southwest were three rivals, wary of each other's moves. Wei Xiao learned that Gongsun Shu had the intention to declare himself the king of the state of Shu; so he sent Ma Yuan to sound Liu Xiu and Gongsun Shu out before deciding what to do next.
Ma Yuan and Gongsun Shu were from the same home town and had been childhood friends. But the presumptuous and patronizing Gongsun Shu did not meet Ma until he made sure he would be in the spotlight in the welcoming ceremony and his guards were put on full alert.
When Ma Yuan went to visit Liu Xiu, on the other hand, Liu did not stand on ceremony by sitting on his throne surrounded by his aids. Instead, he was all by himself in the Xunde Hall of Luoyang Palace waiting to see Ma. He smiled at the sight of Ma and greeted him, "I admire your courage to shuttle between two emperors. That shows the wealth of knowledge and experience you possess. It's really my great honor to see you today. "
Impressed by Liu's humility and modesty, Ma said, "In today's world, not only will the emperors pick their virtuous ministers; but also the ministers will choose virtuous emperors." Ma also asked Liu if he was afraid that Ma could be an assassin. To which Liu replied that he regarded him as a messenger, and a messenger should be treated with courtesy.
Upon his return, Ma Yuan told Wei Xiao that Gongsun Shu, like a well frog, was too conceited. When commenting on Liu Xiu, Ma praised him as the real leader, saying, "Emperor Guangwu and I met dozens of times, and we always talked like close friends. Emperor Guangwu struck me as a man of superb talent and courage. I was thoroughly impressed by his frankness, straightforwardness, broadmindedness, and humility. "