In an office, a school, or a government department, empire-building is when someone tries to grow their own power inside the place they work: more staff, a bigger budget, more projects under their name, more people reporting to them. The “empire” is not a country. It is their patch.

In an office, a school, or a government department在辦公室、學校或政府部門裡，empire-building is empire-building 就是 someone有人 inside the place they work在自己上班的地方 tries to grow their own power想把自己的權力養大：more staff更多人手、a bigger budget更大的預算、more projects under their name更多掛自己名字的案子、more people reporting to them更多向自己回報的人。The “empire”這個「帝國」 is not a country不是一個國家。It is是 their patch他們自己的那塊地盤。

People usually say this with a raised eyebrow — it suggests the person is feeding their status, not only helping the work. You hear it in business English, newspapers, and workplace gossip. It is a little critical.

People人們 usually通常 with a raised eyebrow挑著眉 say this說這個字——it suggests它暗示 the person這個人 is feeding their status在餵自己的地位，not only helping the work不只是在幫工作。in business English, newspapers, and workplace gossip在商業英文、報紙和職場八卦裡 You hear it你會聽到它。It is它 a little critical帶一點批評。

Though actually, when papers praise a founder for “building an empire,” that can sound grand. Empire-building about a manager almost never does; there it means grabbing turf inside the organisation.

Though actually不過老實說，when papers praise a founder當報紙稱讚一位創辦人 for “building an empire,”「打造了一個帝國」的時候，that can sound grand那可以聽起來很氣派。about a manager說一個主管的 Empire-building empire-building almost never does幾乎從來不會這樣；there在那裡 it means它指的是 inside the organisation在組織裡 grabbing turf搶地盤。