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.

電漿槍是一類能量武器，能發(fā)射出超高溫度的氫基電漿彈，對目標造成毀滅性傷害。電漿體先以液態(tài)形式被儲存（進彈匣中），然后被注入到武器的加熱線圈，在被推進著穿過一系列磁線圈的過程中，漿體達到極端高溫，最終以熾熱光球的形態(tài)被射出槍膛。這種由高能量粒子組成的揮發(fā)性球體幾乎可以燒穿所有種類的裝甲。當面對電漿槍的射擊時，塑鋼、鐵凝土和陶鋼幾乎都毫無防御力可言，白熾的能量團會在不到一秒之內(nèi)將其燒穿。

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.

星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)術小隊大量使用著電漿槍，以此來增強自己的火力；無論是對抗重裝甲步兵還是輕裝甲載具，這種武器的致命威力都十分有效。在戰(zhàn)斗中，一名裝備了電漿槍的戰(zhàn)術修士，能夠同等輕易地切開鈦星人戰(zhàn)斗服、泰倫異形進攻生物體和獸人超重裝老大——這些敵人們身上會被超高增壓過的光彈穿出冒煙的孔洞。同樣，一名星際戰(zhàn)士也能在裝甲運兵車和輕型坦克上炸開破洞，載具內(nèi)的乘員們會在恐怖的片刻中被能量化的電漿氣體烤熟。

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.

不過，如此不穩(wěn)定的武器也就帶有明顯的缺點。倘若電漿體未能被封存好，此類武器便容易以最為驚人的方式發(fā)生過熱。雖然緊急冷卻管道和排氣口會定期排放槍膛中多余的熱量，但持續(xù)的射擊會令這些功能幾乎不可避免地發(fā)生過載。當武器達到臨界溫度時，它會釋放出一團超高溫度的蒸氣，以防止發(fā)生自爆。對于使用者而言，這是種不幸的事故，因為這團蒸汽云能輕易燒穿輕型甲胄，并剝?nèi)ス穷^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.

在遭遇這種災難性的過熱現(xiàn)象時，星際戰(zhàn)士的動力甲至少還能為其提供一定程度的保護——動力甲的陶鋼板和堅硬的密封圈，通常能限制住其對周邊人體組織的損傷。但即便如此，一次過熱事件仍能殺死或重傷一名戰(zhàn)斗修士，特別是在排氣口被堵塞或線圈因高溫而破裂時。對諸如帝國衛(wèi)軍之類的更平凡戰(zhàn)士而言，過熱的電漿槍幾乎總是致命的——大量的帶電粒子會將其脆弱的軀體燒成一具焦黑的骷髏。

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.

在罕見情況中，變得過度熾熱的電漿槍甚至能爆炸。導致這種問題的原因可能是過度開火，也可能是制造過程中產(chǎn)生的缺陷。倘若出現(xiàn)外殼破損或磁性束縛場失效的狀況，開火者就只剩下了千分之一秒的（存活）時間，之后電漿槍便會在他們手中化為一顆熊熊燃燒的能量團，恒星（級別）的熱量會吞沒武器自身，并蒸發(fā)掉（爆炸）范圍中的一切。

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.

除了發(fā)生過熱的危險，電漿槍也難以被重新裝填。只有在進行了必備祈禱（儀式）的情況下，氫氣燃料瓶才能被旋擰到合適的位置，它們不穩(wěn)定的彈藥太過容易泄露，或者污染電漿體的輸入口。一只被不正確安裝的燃料瓶，會導致武器在第一次開火時就發(fā)生爆炸——在磁力室（完全）空膛或只是被部分填充的情況下，因此而不可避免產(chǎn)生的壓力會將槍體與使用者一起撕裂。

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.

移除燃料瓶同樣危險，因為哪怕是少量電漿體從破損的密封圈或不正確關閉的閥門處泄露出來，使用者也會被燒掉多根手指或整個手掌。因此，在戰(zhàn)場上裝填或卸載電漿槍的彈藥，是一項緩慢且困難的工作，此類任務通常最好是被留給技術軍士或技術神甫去進行神圣的照料，而且后者們會進行漫長的重復性二進制祈禱。在戰(zhàn)斗中，星際戰(zhàn)士可以用電漿槍連續(xù)射擊十二次左右，之后燃料瓶（中的電漿體）就會開始被耗盡，使用者也就面臨著災難性過熱的風險。

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.

雖然其存在缺點，但電漿槍已經(jīng)在帝國武庫中存續(xù)了數(shù)千年之久。攜帶此種武器奔赴戰(zhàn)場是一項榮譽，使用者也被信任能令每一發(fā)熾熱的電漿彈物有所值。電漿槍的設計是基于神圣STC中的秘密（知識），其從未得到過發(fā)展和改進。事實上，就連試圖減輕電漿槍缺陷的想法，也會招來萬機神信徒們的反感。受萬機神的恩典，這種武器在神皇的大軍中扮演了重要角色，以任何方式改變這一角色（的行為）都將引發(fā)混亂失序。因此，數(shù)個世紀以來，電漿槍的制造（流程）都是一成不變的，每把武器也都進入了一名堅定的星際戰(zhàn)士或不領情的衛(wèi)軍士兵手中。