《Muitorum》节译：电浆枪

Plasma guns are energy weapons that fire bolts of superheated hydrogen plasma into their targets with devastating effects. The plasma is stored in a liquid form before being fed into the weapon’s heating coils, where it reaches extreme temperatures before being propelled through a series of magnetic coils and fired out in a blazing ball of light. These volatile balls of highly energised particles are capable of burning their way through almost all kinds of armour. Plasteel, ferro-concrete and ceramite are all little protection against fire from a plasma gun, the incandescent energy searing through them in scant seconds.

电浆枪是一类能量武器，能发射出超高温度的氢基电浆弹，对目标造成毁灭性伤害。电浆体先以液态形式被储存（进弹匣中），然后被注入到武器的加热线圈，在被推进着穿过一系列磁线圈的过程中，浆体达到极端高温，最终以炽热光球的形态被射出枪膛。这种由高能量粒子组成的挥发性球体几乎可以烧穿所有种类的装甲。当面对电浆枪的射击时，塑钢、铁凝土和陶钢几乎都毫无防御力可言，白炽的能量团会在不到一秒之内将其烧穿。

Space Marine Tactical squads make extensive use of plasma guns to augment their firepower; the lethal might of the weapon is useful against both heavily armoured infantry and light armoured vehicles. In combat, a battle-brother armed with a plasma gun can carve apart Tau Battlesuits, Tyranid assault organisms and Ork Meganobs with equal ease, super-charged bolts of light punching smoking holes in his foes. Equally, a Space Marine can blow ragged rents in APCs and light tanks, the energised plasma gases cooking everyone within in a few horrific moments.

星际战士战术小队大量使用着电浆枪，以此来增强自己的火力；无论是对抗重装甲步兵还是轻装甲载具，这种武器的致命威力都十分有效。在战斗中，一名装备了电浆枪的战术修士，能够同等轻易地切开钛星人战斗服、泰伦异形进攻生物体和兽人超重装老大——这些敌人们身上会被超高增压过的光弹穿出冒烟的孔洞。同样，一名星际战士也能在装甲运兵车和轻型坦克上炸开破洞，载具内的乘员们会在恐怖的片刻中被能量化的电浆气体烤熟。

Such a volatile weapon comes with a significant drawback however. The barely contained plasma makes the weapon prone to overheating in the most spectacular of ways. While emergency cooling ducts and exhaust vents periodically expel excess heat from the gun, continual firing almost inevitably overloads these functions. When the weapon reaches critical temperatures, it will release a cloud of super-heated vapour to prevent the gun from destroying itself. Unfortunately for the firer, this cloud is easily capable of burning away light armour and peeling flesh from bone.

不过，如此不稳定的武器也就带有明显的缺点。倘若电浆体未能被封存好，此类武器便容易以最为惊人的方式发生过热。虽然紧急冷却管道和排气口会定期排放枪膛中多余的热量，但持续的射击会令这些功能几乎不可避免地发生过载。当武器达到临界温度时，它会释放出一团超高温度的蒸气，以防止发生自爆。对于使用者而言，这是种不幸的事故，因为这团蒸汽云能轻易烧穿轻型甲胄，并剥去骨头上的皮肉。

Space Marines are at least afforded a degree of protection against these catastrophic overheats because of their power armour, the ceramite plates and hard seals usually limiting the damage to their surroundings. Even so, an overheat can still kill or maim a battle-brother, especially if the exhaust vents clog or the coils crack from the intense heat. For lesser warriors, like Imperial Guardsmen, overheating plasma guns are almost always fatal, leaving frail bodies charred to blackened bone by great gouts of charged particles.

在遭遇这种灾难性的过热现象时，星际战士的动力甲至少还能为其提供一定程度的保护——动力甲的陶钢板和坚硬的密封圈，通常能限制住其对周边人体组织的损伤。但即便如此，一次过热事件仍能杀死或重伤一名战斗修士，特别是在排气口被堵塞或线圈因高温而破裂时。对诸如帝国卫军之类的更平凡战士而言，过热的电浆枪几乎总是致命的——大量的带电粒子会将其脆弱的躯体烧成一具焦黑的骷髅。

In rare cases, plasma guns are even capable of detonating if they get too hot. This may occur as a result of excessive firing, but can also be the result of a flaw during manufacture. Should the casing crack or the magnetic containment fail, the firer will have only a fraction of a second before the gun turns into a ball of blazing energy in his hands, consuming itself with the heat of a star and vaporising everything with reach.

在罕见情况中，变得过度炽热的电浆枪甚至能爆炸。导致这种问题的原因可能是过度开火，也可能是制造过程中产生的缺陷。倘若出现外壳破损或磁性束缚场失效的状况，开火者就只剩下了千分之一秒的（存活）时间，之后电浆枪便会在他们手中化为一颗熊熊燃烧的能量团，恒星（级别）的热量会吞没武器自身，并蒸发掉（爆炸）范围中的一切。

In addition to the dangers of an overheat, plasma guns are difficult to reload. Only with the requisite prayers should the hydrogen flasks be screwed into place, their unstable ammunition all too prone to spilling or fouling the plasma intakes. An incorrectly attached flask can cause the weapon to explode the first time it is fired, as an empty or partially filled magnetic chamber creates inescapable pressure that will tear the gun apart, in addition to its user.

除了发生过热的危险，电浆枪也难以被重新装填。只有在进行了必备祈祷（仪式）的情况下，氢气燃料瓶才能被旋拧到合适的位置，它们不稳定的弹药太过容易泄露，或者污染电浆体的输入口。一只被不正确安装的燃料瓶，会导致武器在第一次开火时就发生爆炸——在磁力室（完全）空膛或只是被部分填充的情况下，因此而不可避免产生的压力会将枪体与使用者一起撕裂。

Removing a flask is also dangerous, as even a small amount of plasma leaking out of a broken seal or an incorrectly closed value can burn away a hand or cost the shooter several of his fingers. For these reasons, plasma guns are slow and difficult to load or unload on the battlefield, a task often best left to the sacred ministrations of a Techmarine or Tech-Priest and long hours of repetitious binary prayer. In combat, a Space Marine can rely on a plasma gun for a dozen or so consecutive shots before the flask starts to run dry, and he runs the risk of triggering a catastrophic overheat.

移除燃料瓶同样危险，因为哪怕是少量电浆体从破损的密封圈或不正确关闭的阀门处泄露出来，使用者也会被烧掉多根手指或整个手掌。因此，在战场上装填或卸载电浆枪的弹药，是一项缓慢且困难的工作，此类任务通常最好是被留给技术军士或技术神甫去进行神圣的照料，而且后者们会进行漫长的重复性二进制祈祷。在战斗中，星际战士可以用电浆枪连续射击十二次左右，之后燃料瓶（中的电浆体）就会开始被耗尽，使用者也就面临着灾难性过热的风险。

Despite its drawbacks the plasma gun has remained part of the Imperium’s arsenal for thousands of years. It is an honour to carry the gun into battle, and be trusted to make sure every searing shot counts. Based on the secrets of the sacred STC, it is a design that has never been developed or improved on. Indeed, the very thought of trying to mitigate the flaws of the plasma gun would be repellent to the followers of the Machine God. By the grace of the Omnissiah, the weapon fulfils a role within the God-Emperor’s armies, and to change this role in any way would be to invite mayhem and disorder. So the plasma gun is crafted just as it has been for untold centuries, each one finding its way into the hands of a resolute Space Marine or an ungrateful Guardsman.

虽然其存在缺点，但电浆枪已经在帝国武库中存续了数千年之久。携带此种武器奔赴战场是一项荣誉，使用者也被信任能令每一发炽热的电浆弹物有所值。电浆枪的设计是基于神圣STC中的秘密（知识），其从未得到过发展和改进。事实上，就连试图减轻电浆枪缺陷的想法，也会招来万机神信徒们的反感。受万机神的恩典，这种武器在神皇的大军中扮演了重要角色，以任何方式改变这一角色（的行为）都将引发混乱失序。因此，数个世纪以来，电浆枪的制造（流程）都是一成不变的，每把武器也都进入了一名坚定的星际战士或不领情的卫军士兵手中。