子曰：“吾十有五而志于學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，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.”

春秋戰國時期，人的平均壽命是多少呢？一種說法，大約是十九歲。孔子活了72到73歲，少有的壽星。即使我們只計算當時有權有閑階層，一般也很難達到孔子的高壽，所以，孔子的修行是很高的，非一般人所能企及。所以，孟子的理想社會是70歲的人有肉吃。

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年最新統計證明全球人口平均壽命為62.27歲。世界各國和地區中最長壽的仍是日本人，平均壽命達79.66歲。而中國人的平均壽命為69.98歲。還是沒有達到七十而從心所欲的年齡。難怪，不逾矩很難。

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.

若以孔子志學的時間推算，我們學習英語10年，也沒有什么了不起，還沒有到而立之年呢。要想沒有疑問，學25年。要想真正懂得學習英文的目的，學35年。要想辨別他人英文的好壞，學45年。要想隨心所欲地運用英文，學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.