Spread throughout the galaxy, the Deathwatch are the Imperium's greatest protection against the numberless xenos species that seek to destroy or enthral Mankind. They are a Chapter of Space Marines, their warriors augmented post-humans whose thick power armour is painted in the black of life's ending, and whose blades are sheened with the viscera of their hated foes.?

死亡守望們分散在銀河各處，他們是帝國對抗無數試圖毀滅或奴役人類的異形種族的最優(yōu)秀武器。他們是一個星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)團，其中的超人類強化戰(zhàn)士們身穿的厚重動力甲被涂為了黑色——那是標志著生命終結的顏色，手中的刀劍是用他們痛恨的敵人的內臟所擦亮。

Since their inception millennia ago, the Deathwatch have maintained an unstinting vigil. Monitoring vast tracts of the Imperium, the Chapter watches for xenos activity and dispatches elite strike forces to stem rapacious alien attacks. Though awed survivors sometimes witness the Deathwatch's decisive actions, the Chapter's warriors often work unseen, or at least unrecorded. Their duty does not only consist of crushing aliens who invade Human worlds. With dogmatic fervour, the Imperium preaches that the xenos' very existence is a vile insult and a threat to Mankind's right to absolute dominion. Thus, the black-armoured Space Marines of the Deathwatch forge into the dark and isolated places of the galaxy to take the fight to alien territories, onto worlds the xenos claim are theirs and into lairs where such evils plot and multiply.?

自從于數千年前被創(chuàng)建開始，死亡守望們便一直在進行著無限制的監(jiān)視守望。該戰(zhàn)團監(jiān)視著帝國的廣闊區(qū)域，他們監(jiān)測著異形種族的活動，并派出精銳的打擊部隊去阻止異星人的貪婪進攻。盡管心存敬畏的幸存者們偶爾會目睹死亡守望的果斷行動，但該戰(zhàn)團中戰(zhàn)士們的行動通常是不會被外人所見，或者至少是不會被記錄的。他們的職責不僅是擊潰入侵人類世界的異星人。帝國以教條主義的狂熱宣揚到：異形的存在本身就是對于人類絕對統治（銀河）權力的卑劣侮辱和威脅。因此，身披黑色動力甲的死亡守望星際戰(zhàn)士們會進入銀河系中黑暗孤立的區(qū)域，在異星人的領土上戰(zhàn)斗，襲擊異星人聲稱屬于他們的世界，搗毀這些邪惡生物們進行密謀和繁殖的巢穴。

Every Deathwatch Space Marine is a veteran, hailing originally from another Chapter. All but a few have been pledged by their original brotherhood in a solemn tithe. In this way, the Deathwatch are unique among Space Marine Chapters, for their warriors bear varying genetic heritages. Without exception, they are battle-brothers who bind themselves in service to the vital duty of exterminating the xenos, with specialist skills that raise them above the Space Marines of their former Chapters. Through intuition and over long campaigns, these combatants have become expert alien killers. Some come to the Deathwatch knowing exactly where to ram a blade among unnatural anatomies to ensure efficient kills, while others have fought so often against jinking xenoforms that their aim borders on the preternatural. Many have seen battle-brothers slain by aliens so often that their hatred is a tangible asset - a deadly weapon in itself. Whether such warriors are adept in slaying one particular species or several, the Deathwatch accept their service and the Chapter grows stronger with their expertise.?

每位死亡守望星際戰(zhàn)士都是來自另一個戰(zhàn)團的老兵，除了少數成員之外，他們所有人都是其母團莊嚴承諾貢獻出的什一稅。所以死亡守望在星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)團中是獨一無二的，因為戰(zhàn)團中的戰(zhàn)士們有著不同的基因遺傳（譜系）。他們毫無例外都是投身于消滅異形這一重要職責的戰(zhàn)斗修士，其專業(yè)技能也令他們在自己的母團中脫穎而出。憑借直覺和長期的戰(zhàn)斗，這些戰(zhàn)士已經成為經驗豐富的異星人殺手。某些加入死亡守望的星際戰(zhàn)士（已經）確切地知道要將刀劍刺入異星人身體結構中的哪些部位來確保高效的殺戮，而其他人則是經常與那些迅疾的異形種族交戰(zhàn)，以至于瞄準（射擊）能力接近了超自然的水平。很多星際戰(zhàn)士目睹異星人殺害自己戰(zhàn)斗兄弟的次數是如此頻繁，以至于他們的仇恨都化為有型的事物——其自身都成為了一種致命的武器。無論這些戰(zhàn)士擅長于殺死一種還是幾種特定的異形生物，死亡守望都會接納他們，而他們的專業(yè)技能也會讓戰(zhàn)團變得更加強大。

This pool of knowledge forms a repository of the greatest alien-killing tactics in the Imperium. The Chapter's strength is in sharing and drawing upon each warrior's acumen. To do this, battle-brothers must overcome stark differences. Each hails from a proud brotherhood steeped in its own culture, and clashes amongst newly inducted battle-brothers sometimes occur. Such tensions are surmounted as these Space Marines fight at each other's sides, recognising in their fellows the same dedication and desire to see every hateful alien wiped out.?

這些知識構成了人類帝國中關于殺戮異形戰(zhàn)術的最偉大寶庫。死亡守望戰(zhàn)團的優(yōu)勢在于分享和利用每一位戰(zhàn)士的智慧。每位戰(zhàn)士都是來自一個沉浸于自身文化中的高傲兄弟會，新加入死亡守望的戰(zhàn)斗兄弟們之間偶爾也會發(fā)生沖突。但這種緊張感很快就會被克服，因為這些星際戰(zhàn)士們會彼此并肩作戰(zhàn)，他們會意識到自己的的同伴們在做出同樣的貢獻，也同樣渴望看到所有可惡的異星人被抹除掉。

The Deathwatch maintain and continually expand a corpus of data on xenos species, a freedom that officially does not exist in the Imperium. This knowledge is a precious resource, guarded with the utmost care in hidden vaults by dreaded sentinels. Vile new alien strains are catalogued. The sinuous tactics these breeds employ are documented. The heretical technology used by different alien races is unpicked with distaste until every abhorrent element is understood, and every weakness identified.?

死亡守望保有并不斷拓展著一座關于異形物種的資料庫，這是一種并不公開存在于人類帝國內部的自由。這是知識是珍貴的資源，它們被存放在隱藏的寶庫中，由可怕的哨兵們以最謹慎的態(tài)度看守著。邪惡的新興異星人在這里被分類編目，用于（消滅）這些物種的曲折戰(zhàn)術也被記錄于此。在這里，不同種類異星人所使用的異端科技都被厭惡地拆解研究，直到其所有可憎的要素都被理解，所有弱點都被發(fā)現。

Such knowledge is not gathered to emulate the aliens' achievements or foster closer relations. It is hoarded and employed solely to hasten their destruction. Despite the stultifying inertia that grips the Imperium, the Deathwatch continue to develop their tactics and armaments to better eliminate known aliens, and to combat new species as they are discovered. The Chapter employ specialist ammunition types originally created to combat specific alien strains. Some liquidate biological tissue or punch through toughened hide, while others slay at greater distances those skulking in the shadows. The Deathwatch also make use of specialist augurs to detect creatures hiding from Imperial judgement, mass teleportation arrays unknown to other Chapters and disruptive fields to baffle xenos attacks.?

但死亡守望收集這些知識并不是為了模仿異星人的成就或培養(yǎng)更密切的關系，他們囤積和使用這些技術是為了加速異形的毀滅。盡管帝國存在著令人麻木的惰性，但死亡守望仍在繼續(xù)發(fā)展自己的戰(zhàn)術和武器，以更好地消滅已知的異星人和對抗他們發(fā)現的新物種。該戰(zhàn)團使用的專用類型彈藥最初就是用于對付特定的異星物種，其中某些能清除生體組織或穿透堅硬的外皮，而其他的則是用于在遙遠的距離外殺死那些躲藏在陰影中的目標。死亡守望使用的其他裝備還有用來探測那些隱藏起來躲避帝國審判的生物的專用鳥卜儀，不為其他戰(zhàn)團所知的密集傳送陣列和用于阻擋異形進攻的分解力場。

The Deathwatch's responsibility is exercised across the entire Imperium, and it cannot afford costly wars of attrition. Instead, the Chapter's officers wield their warriors like a scalpel, striking at the enemy with unrivalled clinical precision by identifying critical agents of opposing forces and swiftly eliminating them. Using their knowledge of xenoform physical and mental weaknesses, the Deathwatch assault specific elements, the loss of which will cause the most immediate and lasting damage to the aliens' strength. This could be the assassination of the creatures' leaders, the purging of the xenos' own specialists or the sabotage of their war engines.?

死亡守望的職責遍及整個帝國，他們承受不起代價高昂的消耗戰(zhàn)。相反，戰(zhàn)團中的軍官們是像使用手術刀那般調用著自己麾下的戰(zhàn)士們，通過識別敵方關鍵要素并將其快速消滅，他們以無與倫比的冷酷精度打擊敵人。利用自己關于異形生理和精神上弱點的知識，死亡守望進攻敵人的具體要素——這些資源的損失會對異星人的力量造成最直接且最持久的傷害。這些手段可以是刺殺異形的領袖、清除異形種族內的專業(yè)人員或暗中破壞他們的戰(zhàn)爭引擎。

These tactics are as adaptable as the Deathwatch's fighting formations, which are tailored to combat known alien warrior breeds and doctrines. The Chapter's commanders - its Watch Masters and strategium officers - select from their experienced warriors those most suited to the mission at hand. Often, this will be those who are skilled in combating the xenos they expect to confront, or who have previously triumphed over a similar strain of beast. Warriors with no direct experience draw upon hypno-indoctrinated reflexes and contribute with specific combat expertise, or more esoteric arts.?

死亡守望的戰(zhàn)術就和他們的戰(zhàn)斗編隊一樣具備適應性，也是為了對抗已知的異形戰(zhàn)士和（適應）戰(zhàn)斗信條而量身訂制的。戰(zhàn)團中的指揮官們——守望之主和重要軍官們——都是從那些最適合手邊任務的經驗豐富的戰(zhàn)士中挑選而出。通常來說，這些軍官會是那些擅長與他們將要面對的異形戰(zhàn)斗，或者那些曾經戰(zhàn)勝過類似種類惡獸的人。那些沒有直接經驗的戰(zhàn)士則會接受催眠灌輸，并貢獻特定的戰(zhàn)斗專長或（其他）更深奧的技藝。

In this way, individual Space Marines may fight with different squads from one mission to the next. The Deathwatch also regularly operate in versatile squads called kill teams. These combat units comprise warriors bearing varied weapons and equipment, each specialist complementing every other. This enables even small teams to adapt to changing mission briefs mid-battle and destroy varied targets. Such hybridised squads fly in the face of the Codex Astartes' edicts, yet the galaxy harbours infinite horrors. When the Codex's author, Roboute Guilliman, learned of the Deathwatch, he understood the need for the Chapter to maintain their unique flexibility.?

因此，在一個又一個的任務中，星際戰(zhàn)士們可能會在不同的小隊中作戰(zhàn)。死亡守望們也經常以被稱為“殺戮小隊”的多功能小隊進行運作，此類戰(zhàn)斗單位中包含使用各種武器和裝備的戰(zhàn)士們，每個人的專長都能對其他人的進行補充。這使得即使是小型團隊也能在戰(zhàn)斗中適應不斷變化的任務，并摧毀各種目標。這樣的混合型小隊公然違抗了阿斯塔特圣典的法令，然而銀河系充滿了無盡的恐怖，當圣典的作者——羅伯特 基里曼了解到死亡守望時，他也理解了該戰(zhàn)團保持自身獨特靈活性的需要。

Though the Deathwatch are considered a Chapter by those within the Imperium's echelons of power who know of them, they maintain no single home world. They are spread across a number of watch fortresses, each isolated and independent, from which they prosecute hidden wars to defend the Imperium. Like the daemon-hunting Chapter known as the Grey Knights, the Deathwatch does not conform to the rigid limitations of power prescribed in the Codex Astartes. Their numbers are undisclosed and may be impossible to know, even to the Chapter's own Watch Masters.?

盡管在那些知曉他們的帝國權貴們看來，死亡守望是一個戰(zhàn)團，但該戰(zhàn)團并沒有一個獨立的母星。他們分散在諸多偏遠且獨立的守望要塞中，并從這些地方進行自己捍衛(wèi)帝國的隱蔽戰(zhàn)爭。就像獵殺的惡魔的灰騎士戰(zhàn)團那樣，死亡守望不符合阿斯塔特法典中嚴格的兵力限制，他們的人數不對外公開，也不可能被獲知，哪怕對于戰(zhàn)團自身的守望之主們也是如此。

Each watch fortress maintains several companies, and their existence is known only to a handful of other Watch Masters. No single hierarchy commands the Deathwatch as their duty is too wide, too immense for such considerations. This has not stopped some Inquisitors from theorising that, if the Deathwatch were ever to gather their entire strength, they would constitute a power many times the size of any other Chapter.?

每座守望要塞中都包含數個連隊，只是少數其他守望之主知曉他們的存在。死亡守望并不存在在單獨的指揮團體，因為他們的職責太過寬泛，無法考慮進行統一指揮。但這并沒有阻止某些審判官提出這樣的理論:如果死亡守望能夠集結全部兵力，那他們的力量將是其他任何一個戰(zhàn)團的若干倍。

For most who hold this view, the idea is one of fragile hope. Xenos swarm on every side, and if the Deathwatch were to fail in their duty, the Imperium would surely be lost.?

對于大多數持這種觀點的人來說，這個想法是一種脆弱的希望。異形在從各處向帝國蜂擁襲來，如果死亡守望們失職，那人類帝國就必然會滅亡。