One day Mencius asked Dai Busheng, "If a high official of the state of Chu stays here and he wants his son to learn the Qi language. Should he be taught by a person from Qi, or a person from Chu?"

Dai Busheng replied, "He should be taught by a person from Qi."

Mencius said, "Yes it is good for him to be taught by a person from Qi. But he is surrounded by his fellowmen speaking the Chu language with a whip, it will still be difficult for him to master the Qi language. But if you let him live in the neighbourhoods of the state of Qi for several years, then it will be impossible for you to force him, even with a whip, to speak the Chu language again."

有一天，孟子問戴不勝說：“如果有一個楚國大夫在這里，想要他的兒子學齊國話，那么，應該讓齊國人教他呢，還是讓楚國人教他?”

戴不勝回答說：“應該讓齊國人教他。”

孟子說：“一個齊國人教他固然不錯，可是他的許多楚國同胞整體和他說楚國話，就算每天用鞭子督促他，想讓他學好齊國話也是很困難的;可要是把他帶到齊國的街巷之間住上幾年，那時你就是天天鞭打他，強迫他再說楚國話，也是不可能的。”