袖手旁观 stand idly by
Explanation
形容置身事外，不闻不问，不给予帮助。
Describes someone who stands by without interfering or offering help.
Origin Story
战国时期，燕国和齐国发生战争，燕国连连战败，国力衰弱，面临灭亡的危险。太子丹心急如焚，四处寻求帮助。这时，秦国强大无比，太子丹决定前往秦国寻求帮助。他找到荆轲，希望他能刺杀秦王，以解燕国之危。荆轲犹豫不决，太子丹苦苦哀求，荆轲才答应。然而，荆轲此行却失败了，燕国最终被秦国所灭。而许多燕国臣子，在危难时刻却袖手旁观，没有挺身而出，共同对抗强敌，最终导致了国家的灭亡。这便是袖手旁观，不闻不问的悲惨后果。
During the Warring States period, Yan and Qi went to war. Yan suffered repeated defeats, weakening its national strength and facing the danger of annihilation. Prince Dan was frantic and sought help everywhere. At this time, Qin was incredibly powerful, so Prince Dan decided to seek help from Qin. He found Jing Ke and hoped that he would assassinate King Qin to save Yan. Jing Ke hesitated, but Prince Dan's earnest pleas persuaded him to agree. However, Jing Ke's mission failed, and Yan was eventually destroyed by Qin. Many officials of Yan stood by idly during the crisis, failing to step forward and fight together against the strong enemy. This led to the downfall of the country. This is the tragic consequence of indifference and inaction.
Usage
多用于批评或谴责他人对某种事情不闻不问，置身事外。
Often used to criticize or condemn others for ignoring something or staying out of a situation.
Examples
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面对同学的困难，他却袖手旁观。
miànduì tóngxué de kùnnan,tā què xiù shǒu pángguān.
He stood by and did nothing when his classmate was in trouble.
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面对国家的危难，我们不能袖手旁观！
miànduì guójiā de wēinán,wǒmen bù néng xiù shǒu pángguān！
We can't just ignore the plight of the poor!