六版圣典补充翻译：考勒姆斯之战(下)
Iron Hands battle-brothers marched to take positions on the fortress factories’ walls, or mustered around pre-plotted kill-zones ready to repulse those xenos who broke through.Squadron upon squadron of black armoured battle tanks rumbled into position at key intersections, their crews communing directly with their machine spirits and ready for battle.Deep within the towering bastions at each city’s heart, Chapter servitors lumbered across launch decks and skyshield pads, loading fuel and ordnance into waiting Stormtalon and Stormraven Gunships. Devastators and Centurions of Clans Raukaan and Vurgaan took up positions, synched their minds with their targeting augmetics, and readied their weapons for the arrival of the innumerable horde.
钢铁之手战斗修士们在要塞工厂城墙上占据了阵地，或者是集结在事先布置好的杀戮区，准备击退那些突破防线的异形。黑色装甲坦克组成的一个又一个中队隆隆地驶入关键的交叉路口，车组乘员们直接与机魂进行交流，做好了战斗准备。在位于每座城市核心区域的高大要塞的内部深处，战团机仆们笨拙地穿过发射甲板和防空护盾，为等待中的风暴爪和风暴鸦炮艇装填燃料和弹药。拉卡安和乌尔盖恩氏族的破坏者与百夫长机甲们占据了阵地，他们将自己的意识与瞄准增强植入物进行了同步，并为无数兽群的到来准备好了武器。
Servo-skulls swarmed above Urdri, streaming back what strategic auguries they could. Iron Fathers Kristos and Graevaar watched alongside the other command personnel of Clan Raukaan as patchy images reached them of seas of greenskins flowing toward the city. The invaders were moving up the south and east superhighways, and from all directions across the plains; a great mass of rumbling tanks, lumbering walkers and millions of charging infantry that raised dust-storms in their wake. Scattered Imperial forces retreated before them, two limping Reaver Titans of the Legio Ferrax backing steadily up the southern highway with their guns thundering. Meanwhile, a ragged column of armour was approaching from the east, fire-blackened Raven Guard transports hurtling along amid a mish-mash of Chimeras and Leman Russ.
成群的伺服颅骨在Urdri工厂要塞上方盘旋，回流报告着它们能做出的战略预测。克里斯托斯和格莱瓦尔两位钢铁圣父和拉卡安氏族的其他指挥官们共同看着伺服颅骨传递的不完整图像：绿皮的海洋向城市涌来。入侵者们沿着南部和东部的高速公路前进，从四面八方穿过平原;巨量轰隆作响的坦克、笨重的步行机和数百万冲锋的步兵奔涌而来，它们身后都卷起了沙尘暴。四分五裂的帝国部队在它们面前撤退，来自坚铁军团的两台掠夺者泰坦蹒跚着稳步后撤，他们的火炮同时也在轰鸣着。同时，一支破烂的装甲纵队正在从东侧接近，被炮火熏黑的暗鸦守卫运输车混杂在奇美拉运输车和黎曼鲁斯战斗坦克中疾驰而来。
In both cases, the Orks were close on the defenders’ heels, threatening to overrun them at any moment, yet the Iron Hands had set their plans and combat protocols and they would not deviate. The desperate Imperial forces glanced up at the fortress walls as they pushed towards them, to see only an implacable line of silent black armour topping each.
在这两处战场上，兽人们都在对守军们紧追不舍，随时都有赶上帝国部队的威胁。然而钢铁之手们已经制定了作战计划和作战规程，他们不会对其进行偏离。绝望的帝国部队冲向要塞的城墙，当他们抬眼望去时，看见一排穿着黑色动力甲的战士们默不作声地站在城墙顶端。
Shields were dropped, gates rattled open and defensive batteries lit with fire as the warriors garrisoning Urdri provided an opening for the Titans and tanks to get into the city. Yet none sallied out to their aid; the retreating forces would have to rely on their own strength to reach safety, or fall. The Raven Guard and their wards hammered across the plains with Ork bikes and buggies nipping at their heels, greenskin aircraft screaming low overhead to drop bombs amid the fleeing tanks. A Rhino erupted in a blossom of fire, cartwheeling end over end as an Ork bomb struck it, and the two rearmost Leman Russ went up in flames as crude energy weapons punched through their armour. Moments later, the surviving tanks were roaring through the gate while curtains of fire from Iron Hands and tech-guard slaughtered Orks in droves.
虚空盾被降下，大门带着嘎吱声被打开，防御炮塔猛然开火，同时驻守Urdri工厂要塞的战士们为泰坦和坦克提供了进入城市的通道。但并没有人出来帮助他们，撤退的部队将不得不依靠自己的力量抵达安全处，否则就要死去。暗鸦守卫和受他们保护的凡人部队从平原上疾驰而过，兽人的机车和四轮车在他们后面紧追不舍，绿皮的飞机也在他们头顶低空呼啸，并在逃亡的坦克中间投下炸弹。片刻之后，幸存的坦克们咆哮着冲过了大门，同时钢铁之手和技术守卫的密集射击也屠杀了成群的兽人。
The Reavers were less fortunate. The venerable Dictat Ferrum was limping badly as it retreated, flames boiling from ragged tears in the armour of both legs. Even as the defenders watched from the walls, roiling green energy gathered above the heads of the advancing Orks like storm clouds. A mighty war-cry rose from countless throats, drifting feral and monstrous on the wind, and then the green energy leapt out to halo the Ferrum. The Titan’s void shields imploded with a hollow thump as ectoplasmic energy roiled around them, and in a series of rippling explosions the Titan’s weapons systems and ammunition reserves cooked off. With a thunderous boom, the Dictat Ferrum tumbled backwards, crashing bodily into her sister engine the Sanctus Absolom with tremendous force. Its balance destroyed, the second godmachine’s war horn gave a forlorn howl of anguish as it too toppled from the raised highway to crash in ruin upon the plains below. As countless greenskins swarmed across the fallen Reavers, Gate 764 rumbled closed once more, shutting out Ork attackers and Imperial stragglers alike.
掠夺者泰坦们则没那么幸运。可敬的“钢铁之令”号在撤退时行动颇为艰难，它双腿的装甲上都被撕开了参差不齐的裂口，火焰从中喷涌而出。就在守军们从城墙上观望的时候，汹涌的绿色能量像暴风云一样在前进的兽人们头顶聚集。无数兽人的喉咙中涌出洪亮的咆哮声，这阵野蛮可怕的声音飘荡在风中，之后一团绿色的能量突然出现，如光环般笼罩了钢铁之令号。当灵质能量在泰坦的虚空盾周围翻滚时，它发出一阵沉闷回荡着的撞击声，这一连串涟漪般的爆炸也引爆了泰坦武器系统和弹药储备。随着一阵雷鸣般的爆炸，钢铁之令号向后倒下，它的机体以巨大的力量撞向了自己的姐妹机体“至圣”号。第二台神之机械也失去了平衡，它的战争号角发出了凄厉的哀嚎，机体从高速路上摔了下来，掉在下方的平原上，撞成了一堆废墟。随着无数绿皮涌过陨落的掠夺者泰坦，764号大门再次轰隆地关上，把兽人攻击者和掉队的帝国部队都挡在了门外。
Now the defence of the city proper began. Time and again, surging tides of greenskins charged towards the walls, crude firepower blazing up from the ramshackle tanks that rumbled along in their midst. Each time, the charging Orks were haloed with crackling green power, and refused to retreat no matter their losses. Yet each time, the rain of fire from the walls slaughtered every last greenskin before they could force a breach. Deep within the city,Clan Raukaan Whirlwinds and Hunters raised their weapons to the sky, the former pounding barrages of fire into the Orks beyond the walls while the latter added their skyspear missiles to the churning curtains of flak that the city’s many turrets threw up against the screaming xenos aircraft.
现在，对于城市的防守开始了。绿皮如浪潮般一次又一次地涌向城墙，破烂不堪的坦克从它们当中轰隆驶过，用粗糙的火力射击着城墙。每一次，冲锋的兽人都被噼噼作响的绿色能量所包围，而且无论损失多少，他们都拒绝撤退。但每一次，城墙上如雨点般密集的射击也都在绿皮强行闯入之前将他们屠杀殆尽。在城市深处，拉卡安氏族的旋风坦克和猎手坦克也抬起自己的武器指向天空，前者向墙外的兽人发动猛烈的炮击，同时后者的天矛导弹和城市中诸多高射炮塔射出的密集弹幕攻击着嚎叫的异形飞行器。
For several hours the battle ground on, the battle-brothers of Clan Raukaan directing endless streams of bolter fire, missiles and grenades down into the seething horde beyond the walls as arms-servitors marched back and forth, keeping them supplied with a steady flow of ammunition. Though no answer could be found for the strange psychic phenomena displayed by the Orks, or their utter determination in the face of horrific casualties, mountainous drifts of greenskin corpses piled up amid blazing wrecks in their hundreds, and the combat readouts of the Iron Hands continued to show optimal results.
战斗持续了几个小时，拉卡安氏族的战斗修士们将无数的爆矢弹、导弹和榴弹射向了城墙外涌动着的兽群，同时武器机仆来回奔走，不断为他们提供稳定的弹药补给。尽管对于兽人展示出的奇怪灵能现象的方法，以及它们面对着恐怖伤亡时所表现出的坚定决心，守军都还没有应对之法，但绿皮的尸体现在已经堆积如山，其中还混杂了数以百计燃烧的（载具）残骸，钢铁之手的战斗读数也持续显示着最佳结果。
THE WEIRDWAAAGH!
怪奇之WAAAGH！
Had the Iron Hands listened to the council of Shadow Captain Stenn – who had been fighting
this foe for many weeks – they would have better understood the threat they faced. Upon reaching the safety of the city, the Shadow Captain had made straight for the walls, spreading his men out to keep watch while repeatedly attempting to hail the Iron Fathers or senior magi of the city. Stenn was considering going to the Iron Hands commanders in person and forcing them to listen when suddenly, to the south of the city, a mighty green light flared. The time for warnings was done – the Weirdwaaagh! had arrived.
倘若钢铁之手们听取过暗影连长斯特恩的会议报告（后者已经与敌人交战了数周之久），他们就会更清楚地明白自己面对的是怎样的威胁。一经抵达城市安全区，暗影连长便直奔城墙，同时他命令下属分散到城外去监视敌军，并且反复试图与钢铁圣父们或城市中的高阶贤者们交流。斯坦恩正在考虑亲自去见铁手指挥官并迫使他们听从自己警告，但就在此时，城市南侧突然猛烈燃起一大团绿色火光。斯特恩失去了发出警告的时间——怪奇之WAAAGH！已经抵达了。
The Orks attacking Columnus were led by a mighty prophet of Mork, an enormous Weirdboy by the name of Zagdakka. So great were Zagdakka’s powers that he had slain the previous Warlord, himself a great brute on an Ork, and taken the Waaagh! for his own, gathering about him every frothing Warphead he could get his glowy green hands on. This was his Weirdwaaagh! and like some bloated parasite, he used its powers to control the minds of his many followers. The fate of Dictat Ferrum had showed the signs of the Warpheads’ work, but Stenn had been in no position to make sure.
率领兽人进攻纵队的是一名强大的毛哥先知，这只身形庞大的怪奇小子名为“怪战者”。怪战者的力量极其强大，它杀掉了前任兽人军阀——其自身也是一只极其凶残的兽人，并且将这场Waaagh! 夺为己用。它那发着光的绿色手指一挥，怪奇头子们便会口吐白沫，而这些屈服于它的兽人灵能者们也聚集在了它的麾下。这就是他的怪奇之WAAAGH！，而它的力量就如同肿胀的寄生虫那般，让他能够控制住众多追随者们的思维意识。钢铁之令号的命运显示出了怪奇头子们进攻的迹象，但斯坦恩也无法确定。
Now, as a green tidal wave of Waaagh! energy hurtled across the plains and struck Urdri’s wall, the Shadow Captain’s worst fears were confirmed. The wall did not explode nor collapse.An entire section of the five hundred foot high, quarter-mile deep fortification simply glowed bright green for brief seconds before blinking out of existence, taking its defenders with it.
现在，随着潮水般的绿色Waaagh! 能量波从平原各处急驰而过并击中了城墙，暗影连长最担心的事情还是被证明发生了。城墙没有爆炸也没有坍塌。这段高达五百英尺、宽达四分之一英里的防御工事仅仅是闪烁了数秒绿色的光芒，之后便在眨眼间消失了，其上的守军也一并变得无影无踪。
Immediately the vox-net erupted, horrified reports and frantic requests for confirmation shooting back and forth. Meanwhile, an almighty horde of greenskins surged into the gap left in Urdri’s defences, more psychic blasts lashing out to lick at the walls as the xenos charged into the breach. Clipped orders rolled across the vox from the Iron Hands’ officers, reserves of armour and infantry moving to plug the gap. Their implanted simulus subroutines contained no appropriate response to such an unpredictable threat. The Iron Hands froze stock-still for long seconds, twitching sporadically as subconsciously inculcated protocols jarred with reality. Slowly, they began to respond; Stormravens bearing Dreadnoughts and squads of Centurions toward the gap in the lines, but they would be too late.
音频通讯网络瞬间陷入一片嘈杂，人们相互喊叫着，惊恐的报告和疯狂的确认来回传递。同时，一支庞大的绿皮兽群冲入了Urdri防线上的缺口，而且更多的灵能爆炸也疯狂地掠过城墙。钢铁之手军官们通过音频通讯网下达的简明扼要的命令，装甲和步兵预备队前去填补空缺。他们植入的模拟子程序并不包含对这种不可预测的威胁的适当反应。钢铁之手们在很长一段时间内一动不动并不时地抽搐，因为他们潜意识里被灌输的协议与现实不符。慢慢地，他们开始做出回应；风暴鸦运载着无畏机甲和百夫长小队驶向前线的缺口处，但为时已晚。
Thus, as the first xenos scrambled through the breach, they were met by the Raven Guard.Black and white armoured Space Marines thumped along the walls, leaping into the air and driving themselves groundwards with blasts from their jump packs. As they dropped, bolt pistols flared and lightning claws lashed out, carving through swathes of Orks. The two forces crashed together, but the Raven Guard were few and the Orks all but numberless. With Zagdakka and his Weirdmob shoving their way toward the front, Stenn’s forces could hold the foe back for minutes at best. The Shadow Captain laid about himself with his lightning claw, tearing an Ork’s head from its shoulders before immolating two more with his plasma pistol. Around him, his men were fighting like heroes, blades and power fists dismembering greenskins with every swing. Yet the Orks seemed endless.
因此，当第一批异形快速冲过缺口后，它们遭遇的是暗鸦守卫们。身穿黑白两色动力甲的星际战士们沿着城墙大步冲来，他们启动跳跃背包跃入空中，之后猛冲向地面。在降落的同时，他们用爆弹手枪开火，并且猛然亮出自己的闪电爪，撕开了成群的兽人。两股力量相互厮杀，但暗鸦守卫人数稀少，兽人则是近乎无数。怪战者和他的怪奇头目们也在猛烈推搡着其他兽人，冲往前线；斯坦恩的部队做多只能拖延兽人数分钟的时间。暗影连长挥舞起自己的闪电爪，将一只兽人的脑袋从其肩膀上撕下，之后又用电浆手枪杀死两只。而在他身边，暗鸦守卫们也如同英雄般奋战着，他们手中利刃和动力拳的每次进攻都将兽人们肢解开来。然而兽人似乎是无穷无尽的。
Stenn tried desperately to vox for support, or reach his Strike Cruiser in orbit. He was met with a squeal of feedback. Could the Orks be shrouding their vox? Then he saw them,drawing up in ordered ranks with their weapons ready, perhaps one hundred yards behind the breach. Iron Hands, dozens of them – battle-brothers and Centurions and Dreadnoughts and rumbling tanks all arrayed for war. They were watching impassively as the Orks overran Stenn’s command one by one. At their head, surrounded by a cohort of mindless Gun Servitors, Iron Father Kristos leaned upon his power axe as he watched the Raven Guard die.
斯坦恩绝望地试图呼叫支援，或者引起他那艘位于轨道上的打击巡洋舰的注意。但他只收到了一阵刺耳的反馈音。难道兽人们能够干扰屏蔽他们的音频通讯？之后他看到了那群人，他们排着整齐的队列，武器也做好了战斗准备，但只是站在距离缺口大约一百码的后方位置处。那是数十名钢铁之手，战斗修士、百夫长机甲、无畏无畏和隆隆作响的坦克都已整装待发，但他们只是无动于衷地看着兽人将斯坦恩麾下的战士们一个又一个地蹂躏至死。在一群无意识枪炮机仆的簇拥下，钢铁圣父克里斯托斯站在队列的最前方，他倚靠着自己的动力斧，眼看着暗鸦守卫们死在自己面前。
Stenn felt his wrath burn white hot as he realised that his men were being used as bait; his jump pack roared to life as he turned to hurl himself at the Iron Father. Yet at that moment searing green bolts of light exploded amid the battle, huge fists of ectoplasm scooping up Raven Guard and Orks alike and crushing them into paste. Stenn screamed with rage as crackling green tendrils wound around his limbs and spun him about, holding him up before an enormous Ork shaman, its eyes blazing behind a freakish scrap-metal mask. As the tendrils tightened, Stenn’s armour began to fracture and spark. Blood spurted from between its plates as his bones cracked, and Stenn screamed as loud as he could.
当意识到自己的下属们被用作了诱饵，斯坦恩顿觉怒发冲冠；他令自己的跳跃背包咆哮起来，准备亲自冲向钢铁圣父。但恰在此时，灼热的绿色光弹在战斗的人群中炸开，巨大的外灵拳头把暗鸦守卫和兽人一并抓起，捏成了肉浆。斯泰恩怒吼着，劈啪作响的绿色卷须缠绕着他的四肢，令他旋转起来；暗影连长被举到了一只身形庞大的兽人巫师面前，后者藏在废金属面具后方的双眼闪闪发光。当卷须收紧时，斯坦恩的动力甲甲开始断裂并迸出火花，他的骨骼破裂，鲜血从甲胄板间喷涌而出。斯坦恩尽可能大声地吼道：
‘Damn you Kristos! Just kill me, and may the Emperor forgive you!’
“该死，克里斯托斯！赶紧杀了我，帝皇或许还会饶了你！”
Still the Iron Hands held back, waiting for their quarry to be fully engaged. Kristos moved not a muscle as Captain Stenn was crushed to bloody ruin, the Iron Father’s attention held by the target optimisation counters climbing toward one hundred percent in his helmet display. The Raven Guard died one by one, buried in howling foes or melted unto ruin by vomited blasts of green energy.As the last Raven Guard fell, Kristos sent a single blip of confirmation through his squads’vox-network. Seconds later, the entire breach was awash with flame. Land Raider Redeemers played their firestorm cannons back and forth, bathing the bellowing Orks in white hot fire while bolters thundered and plasma guns howled. Warpboss Zagdakka and his entire retinue were annihilated in a single, perfectly coordinated firestorm.
但钢铁之手仍然按兵不动，等待自己的猎物完全投入战斗。当斯坦恩连长被碾碎成一具血淋淋的残尸时，克里斯托斯纹丝未动。钢铁圣父只是注意着头盔显示器中目标优化计数器，其读数不断攀升，现在已经接近了百分之百。暗鸦守卫们被一个接一个地杀掉，他们不是被嚎叫着的敌人们埋葬在身下，就是被兽人灵能者喷吐出的绿色能量爆炸熔化掉。当最后一名暗鸦守卫都倒下时，克里斯托通过小队的音频通讯网络发出了一声表示确认的哔哔音。数秒之后，烈焰便席卷了整个缺口处。救赎者型兰德掠夺者用火焰风暴炮来回扫射，咆哮着的兽人们落入了一片白炽的火海中，同时爆弹枪和电浆枪也向着兽人们开火。在这场完美协调的火焰风暴中，怪奇老大怪战者和它的全部随从都被尽数歼灭。
As the psychic shock of the Weirdboyz’ deaths rippled outwards, the Orks howled in sudden,mindless terror or convulsed as their heads exploded like ripe fruit. All across Columnus, the greenskin horde stumbled and stopped, whole swathes dropping dead or running mad as the vast Waaagh! energies broke loose and wreaked havoc. Levelling their weapons, the Imperial forces advanced upon their broken foes, clearing the breach in the fortress walls and taking the fight onto the plains. This time it was the greenskins that were massacred.
怪奇小子们的死亡导致了一阵灵能冲击波的涌出，兽人们突然在无意识的恐惧中嚎叫起来或抽搐起来，同时脑袋也像熟透的水果那样爆炸开。在整支进攻纵队的各处，兽人们都跌跌撞撞地摔倒，当庞大的Waaagh!能量突然爆发并造成了一场浩劫时，兽人们成片地死去或发疯。帝国部队则举起武器攻向这群崩溃的敌人，他们清理了要塞城墙的缺口处并杀向了（外侧的）平原。现在是人类屠杀绿皮的时刻。
Though the war would go on for many weeks yet, with a single blow, Clan Raukaan had won victory for the Imperium. The Orks were ruined as a fighting force, most reduced to dribbling Madboyz and left easy prey for the Imperium’s forces. But at the heart of victory lay a gross betrayal, and already voices of dissent were being raised amongst the Iron Fathers. Had bitterness and spite been clad in the raiment of logic? Had the cost of victory been too high?Upon Clan Raukaan’s return to Medusa, hard questions would have to be asked...
虽然战斗还将会持续数周，但拉卡安氏族只通过一击便为帝国夺取了胜利。兽人的战斗力量已经被摧毁了，它们大部分都已经沦落为了淌着涎水的疯癫小子，帝国部队能将其轻易猎杀。但这次胜利是以严重的背叛作为核心，钢铁圣父们中间也已经响起了反对的声音。难道痛苦和怨恨已经披上了逻辑的外衣吗?胜利的代价太过高昂了吗？当拉卡安氏族回到美杜莎世界后，战团将会向他们提出难以作答的问题…
机仆：关于鸦卫通讯信号干扰的真实原因，后文还是给出了答案的，见下图
该事件被证明是由克里斯托斯所为。
