馬照跑，舞照跳

Chinese

		horse; surname	according to; in accordance with; to shine according to; in accordance with; to shine; to illuminate; to reflect; photograph	to run; to escape		to dance; to wield; to brandish	according to; in accordance with; to shine according to; in accordance with; to shine; to illuminate; to reflect; photograph	jump; hop; skip (a grade) jump; hop; skip (a grade); to leap; to bounce; to beat
trad. (馬照跑，舞照跳)		馬	照	跑	，	舞	照	跳
simp. (马照跑，舞照跳)		马	照	跑	，	舞	照	跳
Literally: “running of horses and dancing [of people] will go on”.

Etymology

From comments made by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s on the handover of Hong Kong:

馬照跑，股照炒，舞照跳 [MSC, trad.]
马照跑，股照炒，舞照跳 [MSC, simp.]

mǎ zhào pǎo, gǔ zhào chǎo, wǔ zhào tiào [Pinyin]

Horses will continue to run (referring to horse racing and gambling), stocks will continue to be speculated upon, and dancing (at nightclubs) will continue to go on.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mǎzhàopǎo, wǔzhàotiào

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄚˇ ㄓㄠˋ ㄆㄠˇ , ㄨˇ ㄓㄠˋ ㄊㄧㄠˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): maa⁵ ziu³ paau², mou⁵ ziu³ tiu³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mǎzhàopǎo, wǔzhàotiào
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄚˇ ㄓㄠˋ ㄆㄠˇ , ㄨˇ ㄓㄠˋ ㄊㄧㄠˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mǎjhàopǎo, wǔjhàotiào
    • Wade–Giles: ma³-chao⁴-pʻao³, wu³-chao⁴-tʻiao⁴
    • Yale: mǎ-jàu-pǎu-, wǔ-jàu-tyàu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: maajawpao, wuujawtiaw
    • Palladius: мачжаопао, учжаотяо (mačžaopao, učžaotjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹ pʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: maa⁵ ziu³ paau², mou⁵ ziu³ tiu³
    • Yale: máh jiu páau, móuh jiu tiu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: maa⁵ dziu³ paau², mou⁵ dziu³ tiu³
    • Guangdong Romanization: ma⁵ jiu³ pao², mou⁵ jiu³ tiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /maː¹³ t͡siːu̯³³ pʰaːu̯³⁵ mou̯¹³ t͡siːu̯³³ tʰiːu̯³³/

Idiom

馬照跑，舞照跳

1. the maintenance of one country, two systems; more broadly, the continuation of the status quo

   • 台灣有多危險？不是國人生活照常、馬照跑舞照跳，就能釋懷的。 [MSC, trad.]
     台湾有多危险？不是国人生活照常、马照跑舞照跳，就能释怀的。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2022 September 15, 中國對台威脅全面升級 台灣人別無感 United Daily News

     Táiwān yǒu duō wēixiǎn? Bùshì guórén shēnghuó zhàocháng, mǎzhàopǎowǔzhàotiào, jiù néng shìhuái de. [Pinyin]

     How much danger is Taiwan in? Our countrymen can't simply dismiss this issue and live a normal life, with horse racing and dancing proceeding as usual.