English Original
One day, Mencius asked Dai Busheng, "If a high official from the state of Chu wishes for his son to learn the Qi dialect, should he be taught by a Qi native or a Chu native?"
Dai Busheng replied, "He should be taught by a Qi native."
Mencius said, "Indeed, it is beneficial to have a Qi native teach him. However, if he is constantly surrounded by his Chu countrymen speaking their own dialect, even with the threat of a whip, it will be difficult for him to master Qi. But if you let him live in the neighborhoods of Qi for several years, then it would be impossible to force him, even with a whip, to speak Chu dialect again."
中文翻译
有一天，孟子问戴不胜：“如果有一位楚国的大夫，希望他的儿子学习齐国的方言，那么，应该让齐国人教他，还是让楚国人教他呢？”
戴不胜回答说：“应该让齐国人教他。”
孟子说：“让齐国人教他固然好。可是，如果他整天被说楚国话的同胞们包围着，即使你用鞭子督促他，他也很难学好齐语。但如果你让他在齐国的街巷里住上几年，那么到时就算天天用鞭子抽他，强迫他再说楚国话，也是不可能的了。”