watch from the sidelines; be an onlooker
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
watch from the sidelines; be an onlooker
literary源自《史记·项羽本纪》，常作“作壁上观”。表示在冲突或事件中不介入、不帮助任何一方，采取观望态度。略带贬义，暗示逃避责任或缺乏担当。
Duì对
yú于
zhè这
chǎng场
zhēng争
duān端
，
tā他
xuǎn选
zé择
zuò作
bì壁
shàng上
guān观
，
bù不
fā发
biǎo表
rèn任
hé何
yì意
jiàn见
。
Regarding this dispute, he chose to watch from the sidelines and offered no opinion.
Tóng同
shì事
men们
dōu都
zài在
wèi为
xiàng项
mù目
jiā加
bān班
，
tā他
què却
zài在
yì一
páng旁
bì壁
shàng上
guān观
。
His colleagues were all working overtime on the project, but he just stood by and watched.
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Gōng公
sī司
miàn面
lín临
wēi危
jī机
，
wǒ我
men们
bù不
néng能
zhǐ只
shì是
bì壁
shàng上
guān观
，
bì必
xū须
xíng行
dòng动
qǐ起
lái来
。
The company is facing a crisis; we cannot just be onlookers, we must take action.
Tā他
pī批
píng评
zhèng政
fǔ府
de的
bì壁
shàng上
guān观
tài态
dù度
dǎo导
zhì致
wèn问
tí题
è恶
huà化
。
He criticized the government's onlooker attitude for worsening the problem.