cāo zuò
to work
to operate
to manipulate
cāo zuò guī chéng
operating rules
work regulations
àn xiāng cāo zuò
covert activities (election rigging etc)
under-the-table manipulations
black operations
cāo zuò tái
operating desk
control panel
console
shí shí cāo zuò huán jìng
real time operating environment
kě cāo zuò de yì shù
the art of the possible (Bismarck on politics)
hēi xiāng cāo zuò
see 暗箱操作[an4 xiang1 cao1 zuo4]