sit back and watch without going to the rescue; sit by without trying to help; sit idly by without lending a helping hand; turnone’s back on a man in distress
❍ 吴主看罢，与群臣计议曰：“既蜀中危急，孤岂可～。……”(《三国演义》1011)The king assembled his officers and said to them，“The land of Shu being in danger,I cannot sit andlook on unconcerned.”/咱们三个情逾骨肉，共患难，同生死，现在老三一个人受罪，咱们能～吗？(高云览《小城春秋》223)We three are as close as flesh and bones—we’ve sworn to suffer adversity together. Wu Jian is having a hard time. Can we sit by without trying to help?
坐视不救zuò shì bù jiù
看见别人有困难时不去帮助，反而坐在旁边观看。sit back and watch without going to the rescue, look on with folden arms sit there and make no effort to save, sit and look on unconcerned, sit by idly and remain indifferent, look on idly