hh2节译:火蜥蜴军团组织结构
When Vulkan took over his inherited Legion the XVIIIth had already, in the relatively short time since its departure from Terra and the start of the Great Crusade, developed a distinct character of its own. Although still largely following the guidelines and dispositions laid down by the Principia Belicosa of the Imperial High Command, its scattered deployment and tendency towards asymmetrical engagements (relative to the common operational patterns of the other Legions) had created a considerable bias in its structures and tactics.
当伏尔甘接手他的子嗣军团时，第十八军团已经离开泰拉并开始了大远征，在这段相对短暂的时间里，他们发展出来一套属于自己的不同特质。虽然他们在很大程度上遵循着帝国高级司令部的基础军典中制定的指导与安排，但他们分散的部署和对于不对称交战（相对于其他军团的常见运作模式而言）的倾向已经在他们的结构和战术中创造出了一种可观的偏好。
Company level detachments, numbering a nominal hundred to around two hundred Legiones Astartes under a single captain were the principal unit of strategic action and logistic support, with larger battalion and chapter distinctions in practice seldom needed. The Legions senior command conversely acted as a kind of heavy strategic reserve, weighing in with a concentration of force where it was most needed, and dispatching reinforcements as it could across numerous fronts at any given time. At the battlefield level, circumstance as well as natural temperament focused the Legion's tactics on relatively short range engagements, where it sought to counteract enemy numbers by the use of confined area engagement or shock assault.
连队级别的分遣队名义上人数通常为一百到大约二百名阿斯塔特，由一位连长指挥，这是军团战略行动和后勤支持的主要单位，而在实际行动中很少需要区分战斗营和战团。军团的高级指挥组则会反过来担当某种重型战略预备队，权衡在哪些地方最需要集中力量，并在任何给定时间中跨越多条战线部署增援部队。在战场层面上，环境和天生性情使军团将战术重点放在相对短距离的战斗上——第十八军团试图通过在密闭地区进行交战或突击来抵消敌人的数量。
Here the individual physical power of the Space Marine, their ability to endure and relentless fury in battle, could be relied upon to inflict disproportionate damage on almost any foe, although the inherent risks were high. Such tactics naturally lent themselves to short-range but devastating arms such as flame, volkite ray and melta weapons being preferred by the Legion. Supporting this tendency was the telling factor that even before the Noctumian influence came to the fore, the technical aptitude demonstrated by the Legion's rank and file further served to allow them to maintain and indeed field-manufacture such advanced weapons, even while subjected to scattered deployments and uncertain supply.
星际战士的个体肉身力量、他们的忍耐力和在战斗中的无情怒火可以对几乎任何敌人造成不成比例的杀伤，虽然固有内在的风险也颇高。这种战术使第十八军团战士自然而然地选择短程但具毁灭性的武器，比如喷火器、爆燃射线枪和热熔武器——这也是火蜥蜴军团偏好的装备。哪怕在夜曲星的影响进入军团之前，支持这种倾向就是第十八军团的重要因素。军团部队及其文件所显露出的技术天赋允许他们保有并确实能够现场制造这些先进武器，哪怕是处于分散部署和供应不确定的情况下。
One of Vulkan's first actions was to largely unify his scattered Legion and do away with its ad-hoc strategic organisation, but he did so in a way that preserved, where possible, the spirit of autonomy and self sufficiency the component units of the XVIIIth had developed, which he saw as inherent virtues where tempered with purpose. At the strategic level, Vulkan ordered his Legion into the formation of seven 'Realms： each linked both in name and spirit with one of Nocturne’s seven great city-settlements. To each of these he assigned a Lord Commander, known also as a Protector, as it was their sworn duty, in addition to that of a warrior of the Emperor, to protect the city-settlement in time of attack (the Lord Commander of the Ist Battle Company being the Protector of Hesoid, and so on). Each city-settlement served as a focus of the Legion’s recruitment and their governance on the planet, anchoring the Legionaries to the humans for whom they fought, and each city-settlement went on to exhibit its own unique influences on the Legions' evolving traditions.
伏尔甘（回归后）最初的举措之一就是大规模重聚起他分散的军团，并且取消其临时性的战略组织，不过在完成这些工作时，他所采用的方法尽可能保存第十八军团的组成单位已经发展出的自主和自我牺牲精神——他视之为调和目标时的内在美德。在战略层面上，伏尔甘命令军团分为七个“区域”编队：每个都与夜曲星上七个巨大的定居城市之一有着名称和精神上的联系。原体为每个编队都指派了一名领主指挥官，他们也被称为护城官。护城官们不仅是帝皇的战士，也要发誓在进攻时保卫定居城市（第一战斗连队的领主指挥官为赫西奥德护城官，以此类推）。每座定居城市都是军团的一个征兵中心和他们在行星上的管理机构，稳固军团战士与他们为之奋战的凡人之间的关系。每座定居城市都将对军团逐渐演化的传统展现出其独一无二的影响。
The strong links between the Salamanders brethren and the people of Nocturne came quickly to create bonds of kinship and loyalty within each company's ranks. An inevitable degree of competition between the Salamanders companies was also fostered by the nature of this relationship as well which, tempered by Vulkan’s teachings, spurred the Salamanders Legionaries to greater heights of achievement and attainment.This too had its echo in the culture of Nocturne, which encouraged conflict to be resolved through a series of often perilous ritual trials and competitions to prove the worthy from the unworthy, and the righteous from the base; a system that developed so that the wider community was strengthened rather than reduced by bickering, treachery and petty feud. It is worthy of note that this grounded bias towards recruitment on Nocturne did have the adverse eflect that it slowed the pace at which the Legion's numbers were increased.
火蜥蜴战斗兄弟与夜曲星人民之间的强烈的联系很快就会在每个连队的部队中创造出一种亲情和忠诚的纽带。这种关系的本质也培育了火蜥蜴连队之间的不可避免的竞争程度，而且在伏尔甘教导的调和下促使火蜥蜴军团战士们取得了更大的成就造诣。这在夜曲星文化中也有所回响——鼓励通过一系列的通常艰险的仪式试炼和竞赛以从无价值中证明有价值、从基础中证明正义的方式来解决冲突；一套体系被如此建立起来，这样一来，大型的团体得以巩固，而非被（内部）争吵、背叛和琐碎的仇怨所削弱。值得记录的是：火蜥蜴军团这种在夜曲星上征兵的固有偏好确实产生了负面影响——减缓了火蜥蜴军团的兵力增长步伐。
Although a proportion of new recruits continued to be fed in to the Legion from Terra and Proximal, this was not sufficient in size to significantly ameliorate this problem, nor did Vulkan pursue the rapid-induction techniques favoured in later years by certain Legions. The counterpoint to this difficulty was, however, that Nocturne's native population, although relatively small, were hardened survivors all, strong of constitution and psychologically resilient, therefore they made for excellent subjects for initiation into the Legion with a very low rate of implant rejection.
虽然泰拉和Proximal也继续为火蜥蜴军团提供一部分新兵，但在规模上不足以明显改善这个问题，而且伏尔甘也不寻求快速催生技术——某些军团在（大远征）后期对此有所偏好。不过，夜曲星的原住民就是火蜥蜴军团解决这一困难的对策：虽然人数相对较少，但他们都是坚韧的幸存者，身体健壮，心理顽强，他们的植入排斥比例极低，是被转变为军团战士的良好对象。
Vulkan and his Legion also developed the asymmetrical warfare practiced early on by the XVIIIth to an even greater virtue, tempering a willingness to sacrifice with judgement as to the value of the longterm outcome, developing a mastery of close range fire-fights and Zone Mortalis operations, both through discipline and relentless training and through excellence of wargear. This superiority manifested most visibly in the Legion's weapons, as under Vulkan's mastery, the Salamanders became justly famed for its superior artifice in the creation of arms, from the bolters carried by its rank and file to the savage implements of destruction carried by the Legion's Dreadnoughts. Each weapon was both a thing of lethal beauty and a masterwork of form and function. Accordingly, they maintained a high proportion of special weapon units, in particular flamer squads, including the uniquely armed Pyroclast elite who carried prototype and highly adaptable flame-projector weapons. Likewise, their Terminator armour-equipped forces were also noteworthy and regarded as amongst the most powerful in any Legion, with each armour suit being embellished and modified by its owner, with such innovation leading to the introduction of the earliest storm shields in Legion service.
伏尔甘和他的军团发展出了一种不对称战术，这种战术在早期便被十八军团使用，甚至成为了一种美德。他们通过对长期成果价值的判断来调动牺牲意愿，发展出了一种近距离交火作战和死地战区中行动的精通，他们是通过的是纪律、无情的训练以及精良的装备达到这一效果的。这种优势在军团的武器上体现得最为明显，在伏尔甘的驾驭下，从军团战士们手持的爆弹枪，到安装在军团无畏机甲上的野蛮毁灭工具，火蜥蜴们恰当地因其制造武器的高超手艺而著称。每种武器都既带着致命的美丽，也是形式与功能的大师之作。相应地，他们也保有着比例颇高的特殊武器单位，尤其是喷火器小队，其中包括了进行独一无二装备的焚岩精英部队，他们配备了武器原型机和高适应性的火焰喷射武器。同样的，军团中装备终结者动力甲的部队也值得关注，他们被认为是所有军团中最为强大的终结者部队之一，每件动力甲都由其主人打造和调整，这些创新促成了最早的风暴盾在军团中的引入。
The Salamanders Legion also maintained and manufactured a substantial armoury of heavy vehicles and other war engines equal in number and diversity to that of a far larger Legion. This armoury showed a bias towards tanks, armoured rams, gunships and mobile support weapons over static artillery, light skimmers and rapid attack vehicles, although it ensured it did not lack for anything it might need. The reason for this was that the Salamanders Legion, as it had developed, did not favour attritional warfare in its tactics, nor did it favour speed over survivability. Likewise, the Legion's void-going war fleet was not particularly large in number, but it was just as telling to the Legion's character that each ship, be it frigate or battle-barge, was itself a work of bellicose art, layered with sophisticated and masterwork weapons and systems that often overmatched similar vessels of their size.
火蜥蜴军团也保有和建造了大量的重型载具和战争引擎，其装甲武库在数量和多样性都与远大于其的军团相当。火蜥蜴军团的装甲武库表现出的对于坦克、装甲冲击车、炮艇和移动支援武器的偏好胜过了对于固定火炮、轻型掠行艇和快速突击载具的，虽然他们也确保了自己不会缺乏自己可能需要的任何载具。其中的原因是：火蜥蜴军团在其战术发展中就不偏好于消耗战，偏好生存能力也胜过速度。同样，军团的虚空战争舰队数量也不是特别大，但就像对于火蜥蜴军团特质的描述那样，他们的每艘舰船，无论是护卫舰还是战斗母舰，本身就是好战艺术的杰作，她们都分层安装着精密的武器和系统，这些战舰能与她们尺寸相似的舰船相提并论。
During the latter years of the Great Crusade when the Legion was operating at the peak of its power, it was worthy of note that the comparison most readily drawn to it by commentators within the Imperial High Command, both through certain similarity in purview and utter contrast in character was with the Death Guard Legion. While both specialised in fighting in some of the most difficult and dangerous environments, and both were fully capable of remorseless and absolute destruction when unleashed, where one cleansed with purifying fire, leaving a world scoured but one day fit to become a domain of humanity, the other tainted and eradicated, leaving nothing but poisoned devastation in their wake. This led to the two Legions and their Primarchs seldom operating together unless expediency demanded otherwise, and indeed created not a little acrimony between the two. The events of the Horus Heresy would see this blossom into the bitterest hatred.
在大远征后期，军团处于（自身）实力巅峰。值得注意的是，帝国高级指挥部的评论官们在此时毫无疑问地被一种对比所吸引——死亡守卫和火蜥蜴两个军团在范围、权限上有种某些相似性，性格上却完全相反。他们都专长于在某些最为危险和艰难的环境中作战，而且在被释放而出后，他们都能进行无情且彻底的毁灭，但一个是用净化的火焰清理某个世界，总有一天被清理的世界会适合成为人类的某片疆域；另一个则是污染和彻底根绝，只在身后留下一片被毁灭的有毒废土。这导致两个军团及其原体们几乎从不一起作战，除非是权宜之计的需要，事实上这也确实让两者之间产生了一些争执，荷鲁斯叛乱则将见证这些争执爆发为最为苦涩的仇恨。
Command Hierarchy
指挥等级体系
The Salamanders Legion under Vulkan adopted a series of extensive reforms to its structure, the widest and most reaching of which was the organisation of the Legion into seven Realms each under the command of its Lord Protector, below which numerous line companies, each of around 120 Space Marines were formed. Aside from specialists, the Legion followed a simplified form of the Terran pattern for battlefield ranks, transiting in descending order of rank from captain to lieutenant to master sergeant, sergeant and Legionary. Seniority within these ranks was determined, when needed, by length of service. Noted equality of speech and demeanour was practiced within the Legion outside of the press of battle, with little value given to the formality or rigid hierarchy practiced by Legions such as the Ultramarines or the Emperor's Children.
在伏尔甘的指挥下，火蜥蜴对军团结构进行了一系列广泛改革，其中最为广泛和最引人注目的是将军团的组织划分为七个“区域”，每个都有属于自己的领主护城官，其下是无数的战线连队，每个连队由大约120名星际战士组成。除了特殊单位，火蜥蜴军团遵循了一套简化版的泰拉军队模式，从连长到校尉，校尉到军士长、军士和军团战士降序排列。当有需要时，根据服务年限来确定这些职级的资历。值得注意的是，在没有作战压力时，火蜥蜴军团实行言论和举止上的平等，他们认为诸如极限战士和帝皇之子等军团实行那种形式上或僵化的等级体系几乎没有意义。
Beyond this simple, but highly cohesive system, reinforced by the culture of self-reliance, self-discipline and loyalty promoted by the Promethean Cult (as the chthonic traditions, beliefs and practices of the Legion became known) a wider variety of titles of renown and spheres of influence also evolved. These developed as a record of deeds and achievements, accorded to an individual by their peers, and were likely as often for the accomplishment of a particular craft, as for a singular act of courage in battle. The value of these titles such as 'Forge Master','Storm Proven' or' Wise Shield' ，often recorded upon the bearer's armour in stylised Nocturnian glyph-forms and branded into their flesh, transcended rank and great store was set by them within the Legion and, while many such titles were in effect unique to their bearer, some like 'Firedrake' came to mark the Legion's core of elite warriors and carried direct military authority as well as ritual or honorary significance.
除了这套简单却具有高度凝聚力的体系，火蜥蜴军团也被普罗米修斯教派所推广的自给自足、自律和忠诚的文化所增强（随着军团的神秘传统、信仰和行为变得著名），各种关于声望和影响范围的头衔也不断演变。这些头衔随着事迹和成就的记录而变化，由同龄兄弟们授予头衔获得者，原因通常可能是因为完成特定的技艺，或者是在战斗中表现出独特的勇气。诸如“铸造大师”、“风暴所证”和“智者坚盾”之类头衔的价值通常会用风格化的夜曲星象形文字记录在头衔所有者的动力甲上，而且也会烙印在他们的皮肉上。这些头衔在军团中给予了持有者超越的等级和崇高的地位，实际上许多此类头衔是其持有者所独有的，而类似“火龙”之类的某些头衔则用于标识军团的精英战士核心，具有着直接的军事权威和仪式或荣誉意义。
The Firedrakes, named for the greatest of the salamander saurids said to originate beneath the stones of Mount Deathfire, were the finest and most experienced warriors of the Legion. To be afforded this exalted status, mere skill-at-arms was not enough alone, and the warrior would have to have been proven of faultless bravery and just as importantly, faultless self-control. Amongst these, the greatest formed the Pyre Guard; the Primarch's own loyal retainers.
火龙是军团中最为优秀、最有经验的战士，他们以某条据说起源于逝火圣山下的岩石的最为强大的火蜥巨龙命名。要享有这种崇高的地位，仅仅精于战斗是不够的，其成员必须被证明具备完美的勇气以及同样重要的完美自控力。其中最优秀的战士会组成薪火守卫——原体个人忠诚的卫士。
Each of the seven Realms had its own core of Firedrakes to serve as leaders and exemplars for the Legion, and in this they received a special duty to instruct by both word and deed. To this end they received special tutelage in the Promethean Cult by their Primarch and the Igniax, Firedrakes particularly selected for their wisdom, learning and devotion to the spiritual aspects of the Promethean Cult; individuals who swiftly became the core of the Salamander's Chaplains once this concept was disseminated across the Space Marine Legions.
七个区域每个都有自己的火龙核心来担任领导者和军团表率，他们在这方面担负着言传身教的特殊责任。为达成这一结果，他们会在普罗米修斯教派中接受原体和伊格尼亚斯牧师们的特殊教导，火龙们是由于其智慧而被专门挑选出的，他们学习普罗米修斯教派的精神方面并为之奉献；而当这些信条在星际战士军团之间传播开后，这些人就会快速成为火蜥蜴牧师的核心。
War Disposition
战争配置
At the outset of the Horus Heresy, the bulk of the Salamanders Legion had been rearming and re-equipping itself at Nocturne after a lengthy campaign of xenos eradication near the galactic core. As such it was able to answer the call to Isstvan V with the majority of its active strength. Although full records are impossible to verify in the aftermath of the Dropsite Massacre, it is believed a force of around 83,000 Space Marines went with their Primarch to Isstvan V, the losses of which during that deadly action were almost total, rated by some sources as high as 98%.
在荷鲁斯叛乱爆发时，一大部分火蜥蜴军团正在夜曲星进行重整——他们在银心地区附近经历了一场根除异形的漫长战役，所以火蜥蜴军团能够回应命令，带着大部分有生兵力前往伊斯特万五号。虽然在登录点大屠杀之后我们无法核查完整记录，但据信有83000名星际战士追随原体前往伊斯特万五号，在之后的致命行动的他们几乎全员阵亡，某些信息来源评定伤亡率高达98%。
However, the Legion did maintain other detachments that did not travel to the Isstvan system and so were spared the bloody cataclysm. Principal among these were the fully equipped and autonomous garrison maintained at Geryon Deep and the Castellan of Prometheus’ forces at around 2,000 to 3,000 remaining, alongside the full intake of neophytes in training on Prometheus, combined with several line companies on detached deployment elsewhere. These figures would tally with commonly held estimates of a total active strength for the Salamanders Legion at the end of the Great Crusade of approximately 89,000 Legiones Astartes, placing them as among the smallest overall of the Legions in manpower. It remains a testimony to the undying resilience of the Legion and its spiritual and psychological strength that despite the losses at Isstvan V —losses thought fatal to the Legion at the time— it was able to maintain coherence and recover its strength, dragging itself back from the precipice of oblivion and remaining a bloody thorn in the side of the Traitors for the rest of the War of the Heresy and, of course, rising again from the ashes to become vital to the Imperium's defence in the face of traitors and renegades in these dark times.
不过火蜥蜴军团确实也保有其他未前往伊斯特万星系的分遣队，他们幸免于这场血腥灾厄。这些部队主要是自主驻防于Geryon和普罗米修斯堡垒的守军，他们装备齐全，存留下的人数在2000到3000，还有所有正在夜曲星上接受训练的新兵，加上几个被派遣到其他地方执行部署的战线连队。这个数量与我们对于火蜥蜴军团在大远征结束时的整体有生兵力的常见估算——大约89000名军团阿斯塔特，位居人数最少的军团之一。虽然火蜥蜴在伊斯特万五号遭受的损失，而且这份损失在当时被认为对军团而言也是致命的，但它仍然证明了第十八军团的持久耐性和心理精神力量——火蜥蜴军团保持着条理性并恢复了军力。在大叛乱余下的战斗中，他们把自己从被毁灭的悬崖上拉回来，而且仍然是沾染着叛军们鲜血的利刺。火蜥蜴们从余烬中再次崛起，他们在帝国抗击叛军的防御力量中变得重要，并在这些黑暗岁月中进行着复仇。
