There are also cultural ties.

当然也有文化纽带
Because of the popularity of the French in aristocratic circles

因为俄国境内贵族圈法国人也为数不少
within Russia, but on the other hand,

但另一方面
there were lots of Russian nobles who spoke German,

也有很多说德语的俄国贵族
who lived in Konigsberg,

居住在哥尼斯堡
which is still this sort of enclave now that is still part of Russia,

那里如今也算俄国的一块飞地
sort of stuck between Poland and Lithuania.

夹在波兰和立陶宛之间
But the most important reason is that French investment in Russia

但最重要的原因是十九世纪八九十年代
increases dramatically in the 1880s and 1890s.

法国在俄国不断增长的投资
And that France seeks an ally against Germany

并且法国正在寻求一个对付德国的同盟军
and that relations between Russia and Germany,

而此时的俄德关系已经很明显
and this is already obvious, you've already discerned this,

你肯定已经能领悟到了