子曰：“吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。”

    Confucius said, “Since the age of 15, I have devoted myself to learning; since 30, I have been well established; since 40, I have understood many things and have no longer been confused; since 50, I have known my heaven-sent duty; since 60, I have been able to distinguish right and wrong in other people’s words; and since 70, I have been able to do what I intend freely without breaking the rules.”

    春秋战国时期，人的平均寿命是多少呢？一种说法，大约是十九岁。孔子活了72到73岁，少有的寿星。即使我们只计算当时有权有闲阶层，一般也很难达到孔子的高寿，所以，孔子的修行是很高的，非一般人所能企及。所以，孟子的理想社会是70岁的人有肉吃。

    The average life expectancy at the Spring and Autumn Periods and Warring States Periods was, according to some research, about 19 years. Confucius lived 72 to 73 years, a rare god of longevity indeed. It was even hard for those with power and leisure to reach such an age. Therefore, Confucius could be very well learned, far from what an ordinary people could expect at his times. Thus, Mencius's ideal society was enabling 70 year old people to have meat in their meals.

    2001年统计证明全球人口平均寿命为62.27岁。世界各国和地区中最长寿的仍是日本人，平均寿命达79.66岁。而中国人的平均寿命为69.98岁。还是没有达到七十而从心所欲的年龄。难怪，不逾矩很难。

    The latest statistics in 2001 shows that the world life expectancy is 62.27 with the Japanese taking the lead to be 79.66 while China gaining a position surpassing all developing countries by its 69.98. However, the Chinese have not yet reached the age to do what they intend freely without breaking the rules. Thus, rules are hard not to be broken.

    若以孔子志学的时间推算，我们学习英语10年，也没有什么了不起，还没有到而立之年呢。要想没有疑问，学25年。要想真正懂得学习英文的目的，学35年。要想辨别他人英文的好坏，学45年。要想随心所欲地运用英文，学55年。

    Calculated in the terms Confucius set for us in learning, those of us who have been learning English for ten years still have a long way to go before reaching the time to be established. To have no confusion, one has to spend 25 years. To truly understand the purpose of English learning, one has to do it for 35 years. It takes 45 years if one wants to distinguish right and wrong in other people’s words, and 55 years to manipulate English language freely without breaking the rules.