balloon

(漫画等)写对白的圈也叫balloon(或bubble)。

A balloon payment is money borrowed that must be paid back in one large sum after several smaller payments have been made. So, "when the balloon goes up" = 当意料中的麻烦到来时。

A trial balloon is a proposal that you mention or an action that you try in order to find out other people's reactions to it, especially if you think they are likely to oppose it.

balloon还可以做动词，是变大/圆/胖之类的意思。

A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. Some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders. The rubber balloon was invented by Michael Faraday in 1824, during experiments with various gases. Some balloons are used for decorative purposes or entertaining purposes, while others are used for practical purposes such as meteorology, medical treatment, military defense, or transportation.

气球是一种有弹性的袋子，可以用氦气、氢气、一氧化二氮、氧气和空气等气体充气。一些早期的气球是用干燥后的动物膀胱制成的。1824年，迈克尔·法拉第在各种气体的实验中发明了橡胶气球。有些气球用于装饰或娱乐目的，而另一些则用于实际用途，如气象、医疗、军事防御或交通。

Filling the balloon with air can be done with the mouth, a manual or electric inflater (such as a hand pump), or with a source of compressed gas. When rubber or plastic balloons are filled with helium so that they float, they typically retain their buoyancy for only a day or so, sometimes longer. The enclosed helium atoms escape through small pores in the latex which are larger than the helium atoms. Balloons filled with air usually hold their size and shape much longer, sometimes for up to a week.

可以用嘴、手动或电动充气机（如手动泵）或压缩气体源向气球充气。当橡胶或塑料气球充满氦气漂浮时，它们通常只保持浮力一天左右，有时更长。封闭的氦原子通过乳胶中比氦原子大的小孔逸出。充满空气的气球通常保持其大小和形状的时间更长，有时长达一周。

Balloon artists are entertainers who twist and tie inflated tubular balloons into sculptures such as animals (see balloon modelling). The balloons used for sculpture are made of extra-stretchy rubber so that they can be twisted and tied without bursting. Since the pressure required to inflate a balloon is inversely proportional to the diameter of the balloon, these tiny tubular balloons are extremely hard to inflate initially. A pump is usually used to inflate these balloons.

气球艺术家是将充气的管状气球扭曲并绑成动物等雕塑的艺人（参见气球塑形）。用于雕塑的气球是由超弹性橡胶制成的，因此它们可以被扭曲和捆绑而不会破裂。由于为气球充气所需的压力与气球的直径成反比，这些微小的管状气球最初很难充气。通常用泵给这些气球充气。

Water balloons are thin, small rubber balloons filled with a liquid, usually water, instead of a gas, and intended to be easily broken. They are usually used by children, who throw them at each other, trying to get each other wet, as a game, competition, or practical joke. By forcing water out the open end of a water balloon, it is possible to use it as a makeshift water gun.

水气球是一种很薄的小橡胶气球，里面充满了液体，通常是水，而不是气体，很容易被打破。它们通常被孩子们用作游戏、比赛或恶作剧，他们互相投掷，试图让对方淋湿。通过将水从水气球的开口端挤出，可以将其用作临时水枪。

Solar balloons are thin, large balloons filled with air that is heated by the sun in order to decrease its density to obtain lift. A hot-air balloon is filled with hot air in order to make it float in the air.

A balloon which has an engine to propel it is called a dirigible [旧式充气飞艇] balloon or airship. 有发动机推动的气球被称为飞艇。

Angioplasty is a surgical procedure in which very small balloons are inserted into blocked or partially blocked blood vessels near the heart. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to clear or compress arterial plaque, and to stretch the walls of the vessel, thus preventing myocardial infarction.

血管成形术是一种外科手术，将非常小的气球插入心脏附近阻塞或部分阻塞的血管中。一旦就位，气球就会膨胀，以清除或压缩动脉斑块，并拉伸血管壁，从而防止心肌梗死。