Venal describes a person — usually someone with power, like an official, a judge, a police officer, a politician — who can be bought. A venal official will bend a rule, lose a document, or give you the contract if the money is right.

Venal venal貪贓的、可收買的 describes a person形容一個人 usually someone with power, like an official, a judge, a police officer, a politician通常是有權力的人，像官員、法官、警察、政治人物 who can be bought是可以被收買的。A venal official will bend a rule, lose a document, or give you the contract一個venal的官員會彎曲規則、弄丟文件、或把合約給你 if the money is right只要錢夠。

You can also call the thing itself venal: a venal government, venal practices, a venal system where nothing moves without a payment. The heart of the word is that the power is for sale.

You can also call the thing itself venal你也可以把事物本身叫做venal a venal government, venal practices, a venal system where nothing moves without a payment像venal government貪腐的政府、venal practices貪腐的做法、venal system沒錢就不動的貪腐體制。The heart of the word is that the power is for sale這個字的核心就是權力是可以買賣的。

It is formal and bookish, the language of newspapers, history books and serious reports rather than conversation; in ordinary speech people just say 'corrupt' or 'he takes bribes'. It is a strong accusation, so writers use it carefully.

It is formal and bookish它正式又書面 the language of newspapers, history books and serious reports rather than conversation是報紙、歷史書、和嚴肅報告的用語，不是對話用語 in ordinary speech people just say 'corrupt' or 'he takes bribes'日常說話大家就直接說'corrupt'貪污或'he takes bribes'他收賄。It is a strong accusation這是很重的指控 so writers use it carefully所以作者會小心使用。

There is a second, gentler use, mainly literary, meaning simply 'done for money rather than love or duty' — a venal marriage, venal reasons — without the crime. Adjective only; the noun is venality and the adverb is venally.

There is a second, gentler use, mainly literary還有第二種比較溫和、主要是文學性的用法 meaning simply 'done for money rather than love or duty'意思只是'為了錢而不是為了愛或責任去做' a venal marriage, venal reasons像venal marriage為錢而結的婚、venal reasons金錢上的理由 without the crime不帶犯罪的意味。Adjective only只有形容詞形式 the noun is venality and the adverb is venally名詞是venality貪贓、副詞是venally。