"I was in New York this year watching the Thanksgiving parade and here it was: Shrek,a big balloon just crossing in front of my window and behind him was Mickey Mouse.

VOA: standard.2010.05.27

by Montgolfier in the late eighteenth century, and the balloon becomes a sort of symbol of perhaps liberty.

在十八世纪末发明的,而从此热气球也成了某种自由的象征

耶鲁公开课 - 1871年后的法国课程节选

They also had--they were--back then, in the 1920s, they were called balloon payment.

上世纪20年代有一种,称为期末大额偿还的贷款方式

耶鲁公开课 - 金融市场课程节选