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In the English translation of Slapping the Table in Amazement there's an interesting phrase that shows up:

Preface [1628 Edition]

As the saying goes, “To one who has seen too little of the world, everything is strange.”

ctext & Wikisource both only start at "chapter" one. There doesn't seem to be a preface.

What's the original Chinese for: “To one who has seen too little of the world, everything is strange.”?

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中国古典文学 has the preface.

Here's the first paragraph:

初刻拍案惊奇

凌濛初

语有之:“少所见,多所怪。”今之人,但知耳目之外,牛鬼蛇神之为奇,而不知耳目之内,日用起居,其为谲诡幻怪非可以常理测者固多也。昔华人至异域,异域咤以牛粪金;随诘华之异者,则曰:“有虫蠕蠕,而吐为彩缯锦绮,衣被天下。”彼舌挢而不信,乃华人未之或奇也。则所谓必向耳目之外索谲诡幻怪以为奇,赘矣。

The translation of “To one who has seen too little of the world, everything is strange.” is:

少所见,多所怪

There is also an entry for this in ABC Proverbs which says:

Lit [Things (which are)] seldom seen [are felt to be] strange. Note Cf. the preface to Chū Kè Pāi'àn Jīngqì; now more commonly said shǎo jiàn, duō guài; see also the preceding entry.

Like the definition mentions the more, modern, common variant of this phrase is 少见多怪 which ABC defines as:

The less one has seen, the more one marvels.


ABC Proverbs also contains the old phrase with an added sentence:

少所见多见怪,睹橐驼谓马肿背。

Lit [One who has] seen little regards many things as strange; [(s)he] sees a camel [and] calls [it a] horse with a hunchback.

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    少见多怪 is a common phrase for saying someone is ignorant, uninformed on a subject
    – Tang Ho
    Apr 19, 2018 at 11:35
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if you answer your own questions, we have nothing to do! I'll go get in the soup kitchen queue.

http://www.xiexingcun.net/3y2p/04/mydoc001.htm

语有之:“少所见,多所怪。”

The Chinese is definitely more succinct!

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