Politicking is the messy human work around politics: talking people round, making deals in corridors, showing your face at events so you or your side are remembered.

Politicking搞政治 is是 the messy human work around politics圍繞政治打轉、亂糟糟的人情工夫： talking people round說服人、 making deals in corridors在走廊裡談交易、 showing your face at events在活動上露臉、 so you or your side are remembered好讓你或你那邊的人被記住。

It is not writing the law, and it is not the same as governing. You can politick (verb), and that activity is politicking (noun).

It它 is not不是 writing the law立法， and而且 it is not the same as也不等於 governing治理。 You can你可以 politick (verb)politick（動詞：搞政治）， and而 that activity is那個行為就是 politicking (noun)politicking（名詞：搞政治這件事）。

Newspapers like the word, and ordinary talk uses it too, often dry or a little unkind — you are doing it for yourself or your group, not for some high idea. Though actually, almost all politics has some of this in it; people just reach for politicking when they want you to notice the grabbing-for-support part.

Newspapers like the word報紙喜歡用這個詞， and而 ordinary talk uses it too日常說話也會用它， often dry or a little unkind語氣常常冷淡或有點不客氣—— you are doing it for yourself or your group你這麼做是為了自己或自己那一群人， not for some high idea不是為了什麼崇高的理想。 Though actually不過其實， almost all politics has some of this in it幾乎所有的政治都帶有一點這種東西； people just reach for politicking人們會用politicking這個字， when they want you to notice the grabbing-for-support part只是想讓你注意到那種「搶著拉攏支持」的部分。

It is informal. It has nothing to do with being polite, even though the spellings sit near each other.

It它 is informal是非正式的說法。 It has nothing to do with being polite它跟有禮貌（polite）一點關係都沒有， even though儘管 the spellings sit near each other兩個字的拼法很接近。