你或許會讓你爸爸僱人在聖誕夜守在所有煙囪裡,想抓住聖誕老人,但即使他們沒看到聖誕老人下來,那又能證明什麼呢?沒人看到聖誕老人,但這並不代表聖誕老人不存在。

You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.

Source: Tatoeba

Sentence Composition

=1 you (informal, as opposed to courteous nín)
=1 you (Note: In Taiwan, is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, is used to address both males and females.)
2 或許 huò perhaps; maybe
=3 huì
  1. can; to have the skill; to know how to
  2. to be likely to; to be sure to
  3. to meet; to get together
  4. meeting; gathering
  5. (suffix) union; group; association
  6. (bound form) a moment (Taiwan pr. huǐ)
=3 kuài (bound form) to reckon accounts
=3 kuò only used in 會撮会撮
4 ràng
  1. to yield
  2. to permit
  3. to let sb do sth
  4. to have sb do sth
  5. to make sb (feel sad etc)
  6. by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like bèi)
=5 you (informal, as opposed to courteous nín)
=5 you (Note: In Taiwan, is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, is used to address both males and females.)
6 爸爸 ba (coll.) father; dad

classifiers: ,

7 variant of
8 rén person; people

classifiers: ,

9 zài
  1. to exist; to be alive
  2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
  3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
10 聖誕夜 Shèngdàn Christmas Eve (the night before Christmas Day)
11 shǒu
  1. to guard
  2. to defend
  3. to keep watch
  4. to abide by the law
  5. to observe (rules or ritual)
  6. nearby
  7. adjoining
12 zài
  1. to exist; to be alive
  2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
  3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
13 所有 suǒyǒu
  1. all
  2. to have; to possess; to own
14 煙囪 yāncōng chimney; smokestack; stovepipe
15
  1. lining
  2. interior
  3. inside
  4. internal
  5. also written
16 xiǎng
  1. to think (about)
  2. to think of; to devise
  3. to think (that); to believe (that)
  4. to desire; to want (to)
  5. to miss (feel wistful about the absence of)
17 抓住 zhuāzhù to grab hold of; to capture
18 聖誕老人 Shèngdàn Lǎorén Father Christmas; Santa Claus
19 dàn
  1. but; yet; however; still
  2. merely; only; just
20 即使 shǐ even if; even though
21 他們 men they; them
=22 méi (negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
=22
  1. drowned
  2. to end
  3. to die
  4. to inundate
23 看到 kàndào to see
24 聖誕老人 Shèngdàn Lǎorén Father Christmas; Santa Claus
=25 下來 xiàlai
  1. to come down
  2. (completed action marker)
  3. (after verb of motion, indicates motion down and towards us, also fig.)
  4. (indicates continuation from the past towards us)
  5. to be harvested (of crops)
  6. to be over (of a period of time)
  7. to go among the masses (said of leaders)
=25 下來 xiàlái
  1. (used after a verb) down (toward oneself, or figuratively)
  2. down (toward oneself, or figuratively)
  3. to come down
=26 surname Na
=26 Nuó surname Nuo
=26 variant of
=26
  1. (specifier) that; the; those (colloquial pr. nèi)
  2. (pronoun) that (referring to persons, things or situations)
  3. then (in that case)
=26 nuó
  1. (archaic) many
  2. beautiful
  3. how
  4. old variant of nuó
27 yòu
  1. (once) again
  2. also
  3. both... and...
  4. and yet
  5. (used for emphasis) anyway
=28 Néng surname Neng
=28 néng
  1. can
  2. to be able to
  3. might possibly
  4. ability
  5. (physics) energy
=28 nài
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of (“to bear; to withstand”)
  2. a surname
  3. alternative form of (“to bear; to withstand”)
=28 tái
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of (“name of a Chinese constellation”)
  2. alternative form of (“name of a Chinese constellation”)
=28 tài
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of / (tài, “bearing; apparition; form; shape; status; position”)
  2. alternative form of / (tài, “bearing; apparition; form; shape; status; position”)
=28 nái
  1. (obsolete) mythical three-legged soft-shelled turtle
  2. mythical three-legged soft-shelled turtle
=28 tāi
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)
  2. only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)
=28 xióng
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of (xióng, “bear”)
  2. alternative form of (xióng, “bear”)
29 證明 zhèngmíng
  1. proof
  2. certificate
  3. identification
  4. testimonial
  5. to prove
  6. to testify
  7. to confirm the truth of

classifier:

30 什麼 shénme
  1. what?
  2. something; anything
=31 ne
  1. particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")
  2. particle for inquiring about location ("Where is ...?")
  3. particle signaling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words and allow the listener time to take them on board ("ok?", "are you with me?")
  4. (at the end of a declarative sentence) particle indicating continuation of a state or action
  5. particle indicating strong affirmation
=31 dense wool fabric (used for coats and jackets)
=32 méi (negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
=32
  1. drowned
  2. to end
  3. to die
  4. to inundate
33 rén person; people

classifiers: ,

34 看到 kàndào to see
35 聖誕老人 Shèngdàn Lǎorén Father Christmas; Santa Claus
36 dàn
  1. but; yet; however; still
  2. merely; only; just
=37 zhè
  1. (pronoun) this; these
  2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun)
  3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. zhèi, esp. in Beijing)
=37 zhèi (coll.) this
38 並不 bìng not at all; by no means
39 代表 dàibiǎo
  1. representative
  2. delegate
  3. to represent
  4. to stand for
  5. on behalf of
  6. in the name of

classifiers: , ,

40 聖誕老人 Shèngdàn Lǎorén Father Christmas; Santa Claus
41 不存在 bu²cen²zai⁴
  1. (Sichuanese) it doesn't matter; no need to say thanks, apologize or assist (said in reply to an expression of gratitude, regret, willingness to help, etc.)
  2. it doesn't matter; no need to say thanks, apologize or assist (said in reply to an expression of gratitude, regret, willingness to help, etc.)