A new study has revealed that a tiny， water-living creature is likely to live until the end of the Earth. The near indestructible1 tardigrade2， also known as water bear， looks like a short caterpillar3 with eight legs. It is just one-tenth of a millimeter4 in size but has the physiological5 makeup to be able to survive in any extreme conditions. The microscopic6 water bear can survive without food for three decades. It can also exist in bitterly freezing temperatures of -272oC and in furnace-like7 temperatures of 150oC. Water bears can also survive the crushing pressure of deep oceans， the vacuum8 of outer space， nuclear war， global warming， or any other extreme meteorological9 event that would doom humans.
　　一项新的研究显示，一种微小的水生生物很可能会一直活到地球灭亡之时。这种几乎长生不死的缓步动物也被称为水熊虫，外观与长着八条腿的毛虫极为相似。虽然它只有十分之一毫米大小，但是它拥有能够在最恶劣的条件下生存的生理构成。这种微小的水熊虫能够在没有食物的情况下存活三十年。它能够抵御-272oC低温的酷寒和炼炉似的150oC高温。它还能够在深海下的巨大压强下、外太空的真空中、核战争及全球变暖等条件下或者其他足以毁灭人类的极端气象灾害下生存。
　　Scientists say water bears are so hardy and resilient10 that the only thing that would wipe them out for good is if the Sun boils all the Earth’s oceans away. The study says this is likely to happen in several billion years from now. The new study states that complex life is very difficult to destroy and could exist on other planets. A researcher said： “Tardigrades are as close to indestructible as it gets on Earth， but it is possible that there are other resilient species examples elsewhere in the Universe.” He added， “There is a real case for looking for life on Mars and in other areas of the Solar System. If tardigrades are Earth’s most resilient species， who knows what else is out there？”
　　科學家说水熊虫如此坚强、有耐力，只有太阳把地球上所有的海洋蒸发掉才能消灭它。该研究称，这种情况很可能在今后的几十亿年里发生。这项新的研究显示，复杂的生命是极难被摧毁的，它还能在其他星球上生存。一位研究者说：“缓步类动物在地球上难以毁灭，而很可能宇宙中还有其他类似的耐力极强的物种。”他补充说：“这是在火星和太阳系的其他地方寻找生命的实例。如果水熊虫是地球上最有耐力的物种，谁知道在地球之外会有什么呢？”