本文節(jié)選自 Darius Hinks 所著英文背景書《Liber Xenologis》，該譯文作為練習(xí)僅為個人與交流使用，不用作商業(yè)用途。

致命的器具

Instrumenta Letalis

在帝國內(nèi)部，（任何）超出目前受到神皇認(rèn)可的技術(shù)進步，我們都會對其持謹(jǐn)慎態(tài)度，（這么做）是正確的。歷史向我們展示了一個癡迷于科技奇跡的種族會遇到什么樣的下場。在軍務(wù)部和機械神教的協(xié)助下，我們已經(jīng)學(xué)會了要對先祖的造物抱有適當(dāng)?shù)淖鹬嘏c敬畏。他們不計后果地突破了科學(xué)的界限。從短期來看，他們?nèi)〉玫倪M步讓帝國如芒在背，但從長遠來看，一個種族若是沉溺在不受約束的進步之中，那么它注定是要滅亡的。

Within the lmperium we are, rightfully, cautious of advancing our techology beyond its current, Emperor-sanctified status. History shows us all too well what can befall a species that becomes enamoured of technological marvels. Through the auspices of the Adeptus Ministorum and the Adeptus Mechanicus we have learned the appropriate level of awe and respect for the creations of our forebears. The lesser races are not so enlightened. They push scientific boundaries with no consideration of the consequences. In the short term, they make advances that can be a thorn in the Imperium's side, but in the long term, a race that indulges in unfettered advancement is doomed to extinction.?

就像它們的攻擊形態(tài)方式一樣，對于這些量產(chǎn)武器所產(chǎn)生的威脅，我們必須認(rèn)真對待，并盡可能地將其編纂成冊。下面的描述都是從我自己的筆記里摘選出來的。雖然細節(jié)很難考證，但我已經(jīng)對主要的危險之處進行了概述。

As with their morphological methods of attack, we must take seriously the threat from these manufactured weapons and codify them to the best of our ability. The following descriptions are all culled from my own notes. Details are hard to confirm, but I have tried to give an overview of the chief dangers.

綠皮/Greenskins

獸人的武器是一團亂七八糟、應(yīng)急拼湊而成的破爛。它們一直都是用綠皮從敵人那里搜刮過來的零件組成的，其最令人印象深刻的是，這些玩意居然還能管用。任何神智健全的種族都會對使用這種不可靠的武器產(chǎn)生怯意，因為它們會把目標(biāo)連同持用者一起干掉。然而獸人壓根就不關(guān)心自身的安危。確切地說，它們似乎能從自己攻擊的不確定性中獲得樂趣。他們的主要目標(biāo)是制造盡可能多的混亂與破壞。因此，他們傾向于使用射彈武器、火箭發(fā)射器、火焰噴射器、爆炸物或者任何在攢起來之后還能存放到久的足以產(chǎn)生轟然巨響的的東西。他們幾乎可以用任何東西造出致命的武器，而且偏好野蠻之行而非精妙之舉——獸人很喜歡直面全副武裝的敵人，而他們手里的家伙不過是一柄簡單到無以復(fù)加的、由破銅爛鐵錘出來的切肉刀。只要那玩意足夠吵鬧，而且還能整出一大堆事端來，那么獸人就會歡天喜地的把它拿來使喚。奇怪的是，他們之所以很難被打敗，正是因為其對戰(zhàn)術(shù)的漠不關(guān)心。一個人要怎么才能智取一個連計劃都沒有的對手呢？

Ork weapons are a shambolic, jury-rigged mess. They invariably consist of parts salvaged from the greenskins' enemies, and the most impressive thing about them is that they work at all. Any sane species would be afraid to use such unreliable weapons as they are just as likely to kill the wielder as the target. The orks show absolutely no regard for their own safety, however. In fact, they seem to relish the unpredictable nature of their own attacks. Their main objective seems to be to create as much chaos and destruction as possible. As a result, they tend to employ projectile weapons, rocket launchers, flamers, explosives or whatever they can keep together long enough to create a big enough bang. They can construct lethal weapons from almost anything, favouring brutality over subtlety -they will happily face heavily armoured foes with nothing more complex than a meat cleaver hammered from a shard of broken metal. As long as it is noisy and makes an impressive mess, the orks will be happy to use it. Strangely, it is their lack of concern for tactics that makes them so hard to defeat. How does one outwit an opponent that has no plan?

暗都靈族/Drukhari

和這個種族的其它方方面面一樣，驅(qū)使暗都靈族的貪婪以及對虐待的癡狂阻礙了他們的武器功效。暗都靈族并沒有把自己的武器設(shè)計成最具效率的殺戮機器，而是將它們用來最大化地制造折磨和延長痛苦。他們喜歡用帶有倒鉤的鞭子、鏈枷和摻有毒素的利刃去刺穿肌肉與神經(jīng)，以此作為引發(fā)疼痛的良方。暗都靈族似乎把戰(zhàn)爭當(dāng)成了一種有悖常理的娛樂活動，而其創(chuàng)造出來的武器則成為了他們怪誕表演的道具。

As with every other aspect of this race, the efficacy of the Drukhari's weaponry is hindered by the rapacious, sadistic obsessions that drive them. Rather than designing their weapons to be the most effective killing machines possible, the drukhari have designed them to maximise suffering and prolong agony. They delight in barbed whips, flails and toxin-laced blades that pierce muscles and nerves as a way to elicit pain. The drukhari seem to treat war as a form of perverse entertainment and their weapons have been created to work as props in their grotesque performances.

方舟靈族/Asuryani

方舟靈族使用的武器全都是精心打造的美麗藝術(shù)品。它們精美、優(yōu)雅，而且效果驚人。他們的許多遠程武器發(fā)射的是一種看上去很小的帶刃圓碟。這些投射物可以擊穿多種形式的裝甲，而且武器的準(zhǔn)頭極佳，即使它們的攻擊速度足以令人頭暈?zāi)垦?，方舟靈族可以輕而易舉地瞄準(zhǔn)弱點所在。

The asuryani employ weapons that are crafted with all the skill and artisanship of beautiful works of art. They are elegant, refined and shockingly effective. Many of their ranged weapons fire what look to be tiny bladed discs. These projectiles can piece many forms of armour, and the weapons are so accurate that the asuryani can easily target weak points, despite the dizzying speed of their attacks.

方舟靈族靈族也會使用利刃武器，我曾經(jīng)在戰(zhàn)斗中見過它們，并發(fā)現(xiàn)這些兵刃古怪至極。我覺得自己是一名技藝精湛的劍客，但是方舟靈族使用的兵刃似乎能夠引導(dǎo)持用者找到對手的弱點，就像捕食者能夠嗅出傷口一樣。依照他們的習(xí)慣，方舟靈族擁有許多與之相關(guān)的傳說，它們復(fù)雜而又神秘，（傳說）聲稱這種兵刃在某種程度上被鬼魂憑依了。雖然我還沒有弄清楚科學(xué)的解釋究竟是什么，但無論原因為何，裝備有這些武器的方舟靈族都會成為可怕的敵手。

Asuryani also use bladed weapons and, having faced them in battle, I have found them to be most peculiar. I consider myself a swordman of considerable skill, but the blades used by asuryani seem to guide the wielder to an opponent's weak spot, much as a predator might sniff out a wound.? As is their wont, the aeldari have many elaborate, mystical tales regarding this, claimmg that such blades are haunted in some way. What the scientific explanation is I have yet to ascertain, but whatever the reason, asuryani armed with these weapons make for fearsome opponents.

異形武器的使用/Use of xenos weapons

關(guān)于異形技術(shù)的使用，各個學(xué)派看法各異。偏向純凈派的那一系把異形技術(shù)的使用斥為異端之舉，而其它派別則指出，我們應(yīng)該拿著最好的武器去降敵蕩寇。我在實用主義上犯了過錯。在澤爾坎攻城戰(zhàn)中，我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己手無寸鐵，而且還受到了攻擊，于是我抓起了我可以夠著的第一把武器，而那碰巧是一把暗都靈族的手槍。這是一個奇跡，從那以后我就一直帶著它。它會利用某種磁性脈沖將含有神經(jīng)毒素的碎片以極快的速度發(fā)射出去。這東西準(zhǔn)的無以復(fù)加，而且從來都不會卡殼或者過熱。另外，就像絕大多數(shù)的艾達靈族武器一樣，它輕的不可思議——（這）大概是為了不妨礙他們那令人印象深刻的戰(zhàn)地雜技。

There are differing schools of thought regarding the use of alien technology. The more puritanical decry the use of xenotech as heresy, while others point out that we should use the best weapons at our disposal to defeat our foe. I have erred on the side of pragmatism. When I found myself unarmed and under attack during the Siege of Zircan, I grabbed the first weapon I could reach, which happened to be a drukhari pistol. It is a marvel and I have carried it ever since. It uses some kind of magnetic impulse to fire shards of neurotoxin at immense speeds. The thing is flawlessly accurate and never jams or overheats. Also, like most aeldari weaponry, it is incredibly light - presumably so as not to hinder their impressive battlefield acrobatics.

鈦族的武器

靈能者被一發(fā)激光彈、一股等離子流和一枚脈沖彈同時打了個正著：（其分別是）主心臟、副心臟和頭部。激光彈未能擊穿，等離子流燒穿了裝甲的外層，然而沒能傷到位于其下的肉體，不過脈沖彈完美地命中了目標(biāo)，它擊穿了術(shù)士的左眼，對方倒地身亡。

A lasgun shot, plasma stream and pulse round hit the psyker simultaneously: primary heart, secondary heart and head. The lasgun shot failed to penetrate, the plasma stream burned through the outer layers of armour, but did not damage the flesh much beneath, but the pulse round was perfectly placed, taking the sorcerer through the left eye, and he fell dead.?

“羅斯托夫的異形?！?梅西紐斯如此說道。在他身后，審判官的手下正在快速前進著，他們蹲身趨行，在惡魔與強化人類的戰(zhàn)場上顯得如此脆弱。他很少有見過這么勇敢的人，而且他們都很致命。

'Rostov's xenos,' Messinius said. The inquisitor's band was advancing behind him at a brisk, crouched jog, so fragile in that battleground of daemons and engineered humanity. He had rarely seen such bravery, and they were deadly.

“你又欠了我一次，英雄?！?切爾徹如此說道。

'That's another you owe me, hero,' said Cheelche.

“那是鈦星人的槍?！?/strong>