蝙蝠是唯一一种可以长距离飞行的哺乳动物，但是它们有另一种能力。许多蝙蝠对它们这种体型的动物来说寿命很长。
European researchers are studying bats to understand why they live so long. They hope to make discoveries aimed at fighting the aging process in human beings.
欧洲研究人员正在研究蝙蝠为什么可以活这么久。他们希望做出旨在对抗人类衰老过程的发现。
Last week, the group of scientists said they had identified important biological qualities in some bat species.
上周，这群科学家说他们已经发现了一些蝙蝠物种中的重要生物特性。
The group studied bat chromosomes, a line of genes found in the nucleus of cells. The scientists were most interested in structures connected to the ends of the chromosomes. They are called telomeres.
这群科学家研究了蝙蝠染色体，这是细胞核中发现的一系列基因。科学家们对连接染色体末端的结构最感兴趣，这一结构被称之为端粒。
Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes, which shorten each time a cell divides. Scientists believe this shortening process causes cells to break down. They say this is what causes aging.
端粒会保护染色体的末端。端粒在每次细胞分裂时都会缩短。科学家们认为这种缩短的过程会导致细胞分解。他们说这是造成衰老的原因。
A report on bats was published this month in the journal Science Advances.
一篇关于蝙蝠的报告本月发表在《科学进展》杂志上。
Among the leaders of the study was Emma Teeling, a biologist with University College Dublin in Ireland.
爱尔兰都柏林大学生物学家艾玛·泰林（Emma Teeling）是该研究的主要负责人之一。
Teeling said studying long-living mammals that have developed ways to fight aging "is an alternative way to identify the molecular basis of extended ‘health spans.'"
泰林表示，研究长寿哺乳动物已经开发出了多种抗衰老的方法，这是“另一种找出长寿的分子基础的办法。”
She added that studying bats enables scientists to learn more about the processes "that drive healthy aging."
她补充说，研究蝙蝠使得科学家们能够更多地了解“推动健康老化”的过程。
The European researchers studied 493 bats from four bat species. The group used information that had been gathered over more than 60 years.
这些欧洲研究人员研究了4种蝙蝠物种的493只蝙蝠，他们使用了60多年来收集到的信息。
Of these animals, the greater mouse-eared bat generally lived the longest, an average of 37 years.
在这些动物中，大鼠耳蝠通常很长寿，平均可以活37岁。
The scientists said this and a related species, which are grouped together under the name Myotis, had telomeres that did not shorten with age.
科学家们表示，这种蝙蝠以及相关物种都属于鼠耳蝠属，它们的端粒不会随着年龄而缩短。
Another Myotis bat holds the record for oldest age, reaching 41 years.
另一种鼠耳蝠属的蝙蝠保持了活到41岁的最长寿记录。
The scientists' findings suggest that these bats' cells have the ability to maintain and repair their telomeres. This, they said, helps guard against the aging process.
科学家们的研究结果表明，这些蝙蝠的细胞拥有维持和修复它们的端粒的能力。科学家们表示这有助于防止衰老。
Based on its body size, a bat like the greater mouse-eared bat would be expected to live four years. But, these mammals have been found to live nearly 10 times longer than that.
根据其体型大小，像大鼠耳蝠这样的蝙蝠原本预期可以活4年。但是人们发现这些哺乳动物的寿命比那要长近十倍。
The scientists found that only 19 species of mammals live longer than humans when their body size is considered. Eighteen of these are bats. The only exception is an unusual African rodent, the naked mole rat.
科学家们发现，当考虑到体型大小因素，只有19种哺乳动物物种比人类更长寿，其中18种是蝙蝠。唯一例外是一种不常见的非洲啮齿动物裸鼹鼠。
I'm Mario Ritter.
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