There's no easy answer, but the mistake most people make is that they let their guard down. Supposedly "informal" environments are the most dangerous. The politics in these startups are often far worse than in conservative, larger companies. Often, permissions are given to do things that are actually harmful to a person's career. People (even managers) will egg you on up to and beyond the event horizon of a ruined career, because you're allaying their ennui.
针对如何在办公室斗争中存活，并没有什么简单的答案，但大多数人常犯的错误则是他们轻易卸下防备。很可能“非正式”的环境才是最危险的。新创办的小公司里的办公室政治往往比保守的大公司要复杂得多。通常情况是，额外地被准许去做某些事情实际上有损你的职业生涯。人们（甚至是一些管理者）会怂恿你去触碰甚至逾越规定的条条框框以至于让你毁了自己的事业，仅仅因为你给他们乏味的生活带来了一抹生趣。

1. Avoid activities that serve no purpose.
1. 避免没有目的的活动。

The best-case outcome is that you establish that you put a low value on your time. When you're at work, always have a purpose, or appear to have one. The sideshows are for losers, to make existence at the bottom more bearable. Never take part in plebeian bullshit. The worst-case outcome is professional humiliation, because societies and substructures that have no purpose devolve into interpersonal nastiness. If you don't have anything else to do, figure out what you want to do and get better at it. Sit down at your computer and read. You'll probably never get fired for reading machine learning papers on your computer (you'll stay out of trouble, with your head down) but you will get pushed out or demoted (eventually) if you project low status, and putting a visible low value on your time has that effect.
最好的结果是你让别人以为你并不看重自己的时间。工作的时候，总是要有个目标，或者看起来似乎有一个。失败者才会去管一些鸡毛蒜皮的小事，你应该要让自己更经得起考验。永远不要参与他人的闲言碎语。最糟糕的结果是职业侮辱，因为没有任何目的聚在一起的群体和组织很快就会变得污秽不堪。如果你没有其他事情要做，那就弄清楚你想做什么，并在这个方面做得更好。你可以坐在位置上用电脑看书。你可能永远不会因为在电脑上学习而被解雇（埋头专研时你也会远离纷争），但是如果你没啥地位，你将被牵扯出来或最终遭到降职，而你表现出并不在意时间的样子就会产生这个效果。

2. "Informal" environments are a lie.
2.“非正式”环境就是一个谎言。

Most people wouldn't be comfortable with 20 strangers in their house, but we have to deal with the curse of having strangers in our careers. This is uncomfortable and stressful and many workplaces like to pretend that it's not the case, thereby encouraging people to behave in "laid back" (read: unguarded and socially unacceptable) ways. This makes it easier for management (it's easier to tell who to fire) but it's not for the worker's benefit. Never let your guard down. Complainers (even justified ones) and blowhards still get shot in the head, in these "informal" environments. It's just not publicized.
如果在家里要面对20个陌生人，大多数人都会感到十分不舒服。但出于工作需要，我们必须得和形形色色的人打交道。这让人不自在也充满压力，可是许多工作场所却想假装并非如此，因此它们鼓励人们“放轻松”。当然这倒是让管理变得更加容易了（更容易知道谁应该被开除），但这却不利于员工。所以永远不要卸下你的防备。在这些“非正式”的环境中，抱怨的人（甚至出于合理的原因）和那些吹嘘的人仍然有可能成为众矢之的，只是不公开罢了。

3. Hear (some) gossip but don't generate it.
3. 可以偶尔听些八卦，但别说长道短，散布流言。

Be aware of what's going on, but don't get involved. You have to be above that nonsense. If you don't have actual work to do, you still want it to seem like you do. Don't ever be seen hearing gossip by anyone but the person telling you the news. Once the gossip gets repetitive, stop hearing it. You have better things to do.
要注意周围发生了什么，但不要涉身其中。你要知道这些闲言碎语并不是最重要的。如果你没有实际的工作要做，仍然要让自己看起来在做着重要的事情。不要偷偷听别人聊八卦，除非说的人主动告诉你。一旦八卦被重复得天花乱坠，那就别再听了。因为你还有更重要的事情要做。

4. Up or diagonal. Always have a goal and a purpose.
4. 向“上”看或向“斜对角”看。要始终心存目标。

Be aiming for better things. But don't necessarily fixate on one vector. If your goal is to take your boss's job, then you're competing with him and you won't win. You're better off to keep an open eye for up-and-left and up-and-right. Once you can find a vector that doesn't conflict with anyone else, follow that. Put 3 hours per day, if you can, into work that advances your own career goals (learning new skills, networking) but avoid doing it in a showy or threatening way.
以更好的事情作为自己的前进方向。但不一定将视线固定在一个方向上。如果你的目标是替代老板的位置，而你只知和他竞争，那么你很可能不会赢。你最好能关注“左上方”和“右上方”的其他位置。只要你能找到一个与其他人不冲突的位置，就可以朝着这个目标努力了。如果可以，每天花3个小时的时间来靠近自己的职业目标（学习新的技能，学习使用网络），但是一定不要向别人炫耀，或给人造成威胁感。

5. Don't mistake fake enthusiasm for support.
5. 要分清别人的假热心。

People will readily show enthusiasm for ideas and activities that are actually harmful to your career. If you stand up in a town hall meeting and tell the CEO that your company's health benefits or stock option plan are shit, you'll get a lot of high-fives and congratulations (from people who don't matter, mostly; and, sometimes, malevolently from people who do). They "like" you because you're (stupidly) fighting their battle, but they won't have your back. Don't put yourself out there without genuine support (i.e. people will take career risks to defend you, and would possibly follow you if you had to change companies).
对于一些实际上无益于你的事业的想法和活动，人们总是很容易会表现得热情满满。如果你在一个市政厅的会议中站起来告诉首席执行官，你公司的医保福利或股票期权方案糟得一塌糊涂，你会得到很多庆贺（大部分人这么做并无所图，可有时候一些人却心怀恶意）。他们“喜欢”你，因为你正在（愚蠢地）为他们出头，但他们却不会真心支持你。所以不要在没有得到真正支持的情况下，傻傻地什么都豁出去（也就是说，人们会冒着职业风险捍卫你，如果你不得不换公司，他们也很有可能会跟着你）。

6. Many people are slimeballs, but don't be one.
6. 工作中有很多“混蛋”，但你最好不要成为其中之一。
 
There are plenty of unethical people who do very well in business, if you are unskilled enough in office politics that you need to read advice on the internet, you're not going to become one of them. Better to develop a reputation as a straight shooter by being one.
有很多人虽然不道德却很擅长做生意，如果你在办公室政治上还不够熟练，应该多去看看一些网上的意见，这样你就不会和他们同流合污了。做一个坦白正直的人更能树立你的信誉和形象。
 
7. Occasionally be intimidating. Don't overdo it.
7. 适当展示威慑力，但是不要过度了。
 
You don't want to be seen as weak, but don't try too hard to appear strong, because the latter will have the opposite effect. If you work in an environment where you wouldn't be the only person wearing a sport coat or even suit, then wear one. A tie is a socially acceptable way to wear a sword (a symbol of freedom). A suit means you are properly armored. It's not comfortable, but you shouldn't be too comfortable at work.
你一定不想被别人看轻，但也不要表现地太过强硬，因为后者可能会产生相反的效果。如果你工作的环境中，你不会成为唯一一个穿运动衫或平整的西装的人，那么就尝试一下这个风格。剑是自由的象征，而领带就是当今社会所认可的另一种剑。若是穿着一整套西装在某种程度上就似乎意味着你已经装甲完备了。虽然这并不舒服，但也许在工作场合你也不能太过惬意了。
 
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