王顾左右而言他出自（孟子 仁政之：王顾左右而言他）

孟子谓齐宣王曰：“王之臣有托其妻子于其友，而之楚游者。比其反也，则冻馁其妻子，则如之何？”

王曰：“弃之。”

曰：“士师不能治士，则如之何？”

王曰：“已之。

曰：“四境之内不治，则如之何？”

王顾左右而言他。

（选自《孟子·梁惠王下》）

译文：

孟子问齐宣王：“大王的属臣中，有人在去楚国游历前，把妻子儿女托付给朋友照看，等到从楚返回时，却发现妻子儿女在忍饥受冻。对这样的朋友该如何交往呢？”

齐宣王答：“跟他断绝关系。”

孟子问：“刑法官员不能管理处置辖内人员，该怎么办？”

齐宣王答：“撤职。”

孟子又问：“整个国家一片混乱，又该怎么办？”

齐宣王东张西望，马上把话题引到别的事上。

Mencius said to the king Xuan of Qi, “Suppose that one of your Majesty's ministers were to entrust his wife and children to the care of his friend, while he himself went into Chu to travel, and that, on his return, he should find that the friend had let his wife and children suffer from cold and hunger; ---how ought he to deal with him?”

The king said, “He should cast him off.”

Mencius proceeded, “Suppose that the chief criminal judge could not regulate the officers under him, how would you deal with him?”

The king said, “Dismiss him.”

Mencius again said, “If within the four borders of your kingdom there is not good government, what is to be done?”

The king looked to the right and left, and spoke of other matters.