Not caring whether what you do is right or wrong. A principle here is a rule you hold yourself to, so a principled person refuses to do certain things even when they would gain by it — and an unprincipled person has no such line.

Not caring不在乎 what you do做的事 is right or wrong對不對。A principle here這裡所謂的原則 is a rule you hold yourself to是你對自己堅持的規則，so所以 a principled person有原則的人 even when they would gain by it即使能佔到便宜 refuses to do certain things也拒絕做某些事——and而 an unprincipled person沒有原則的人 has no such line就沒有這條線。

It describes people (an unprincipled politician, an unprincipled businessman) and the things people do (unprincipled behaviour, an unprincipled attack on a rival).

It這個字 describes people既形容人（an unprincipled politician沒有原則的政客、an unprincipled businessman沒有原則的商人），and也 the things people do形容人做的事（unprincipled behaviour沒有原則的行為、an unprincipled attack on a rival對對手沒有原則的攻擊）。

This is a serious accusation, and it is worth seeing exactly what it accuses someone of. It does not say they are cruel or that they enjoy hurting people; it says they are willing — that nothing inside them stops them if lying or cheating happens to be the quickest way to what they want.

This這 is a serious accusation是很嚴重的指控，and而 it is worth seeing exactly what it accuses someone of值得仔細看看它到底在指控什麼。It它 does not say不是說 they are cruel他們殘忍 or that they enjoy hurting people或喜歡傷害人；it says而是說 they are willing他們願意——nothing inside them stops them他們心裡沒有東西阻止他們 if lying or cheating happens to be the quickest way to what they want如果說謊或欺騙剛好是達成目的最快的方法。

That is why it so often attaches to people with power, and why it sits so naturally in politics and business writing.

That is why這就是為什麼 it so often attaches to people with power它常常用在有權力的人身上，and也/而 why it sits so naturally in politics and business writing為什麼它在政治和商業文章裡出現得那麼自然。

The word is formal and rather literary; in ordinary speech people say "he has no morals" or "he'd do anything". Its opposite, principled, is a real and common word of high praise, and the pair is worth learning together.

The word這個字 is formal and rather literary很正式、也帶點文學味；in ordinary speech日常說話裡 people say大家會說「he has no morals他沒有道德」or「he'd do anything他什麼都做得出來」。Its opposite它的反義詞，principled有原則的，is a real and common word of high praise是個真實常見、帶稱讚意味的字，and而 the pair is worth learning together這對詞很值得一起學。