by Montgolfier in the late eighteenth century,

在十八世纪末发明的
and the balloon becomes a sort of symbol of perhaps liberty.

而从此热气球也成了某种自由的象征
The people in Paris are awaiting

巴黎民众翘首企盼
some sort of military help from the provinces,

希望别的省份出兵相助
but it simply goes on and on.

然而围困的僵局还是丝毫没有打破的迹象
And during the siege there were sixty-five balloon flights carrying

在巴黎被围期间共放出了六十五个热气球
two and a half million letters,

带走了多达两百五十万封信
weighing a grand total of 10,000 kilograms,

合计重量约有一万公斤
so roughly about 20,000 pounds.

也就是两万磅左右
One astronomer actually left Paris to go off

期间还有一位天文学家乘坐热气球离开巴黎
and to observe an eclipse.

去观看月食
They begin using pigeons in order to fly messages out,

法国人一开始是用飞鸽传书的