Lǐngdǎo zài huì shàng wáng gù zuǒ yòu ér yán tā, huíbì zérèn.
At the meeting, the leader looked around and talked of other things, dodging responsibility.
Tips
history
From Mencius 《孟子·梁惠王下》: when Mencius asked King Xuan of Qi three increasingly pointed questions about his duty to his people, the king ‘顾左右而言他’ — looked at his attendants and changed the subject. Xinhua 成语词典 glosses it as 离开话题，回避难以答复的问题.
usage
Sometimes cited without 王 (just 顾左右而言他). Used in political reporting, courtrooms, and everyday arguments when someone dodges a direct question.
