VOA标准英语2011--World’s Tallest Flagpole, Flies World'

World’s Tallest Flagpole, Flies World's Largest Flag in Tajikistan

The world’s tallest flag pole, flying the world’s largest flag, now flies in Tajikistan, in the heart of Central Asia.
Celebrating 20 years of independence
Rising 165 meters in the air, the world’s tallest flagpole landed Tajikistan in the Guinness Book of World Records last month, just in time for the nation’s 20th anniversary of independence.
David Chambers¹, an American, built the tubular steel pole. “We always tell the client when we are building these massive poles, we are not building them for Guinness World Records," he said. "We are building them for the nation and for the people.”
Chambers gears up to take VOA on a 54-story climb to the top.
He explains that the pole sections were built in Dubai, transported by sea to Iran, then shipped by truck - through Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - to this landlocked nation.
After climbing more than 500 rungs on steel ladders, we emerge from a hatch to a small platform, so high it has its own weather station. “We are standing² on the top of the world’s tallest flagpole right now,” noted³ Chambers.
Flying from the flagpole is a mighty⁴ flag of Tajikistan - weighing 350 kilograms, 1,800 square meters in size. Chambers is also submitting this to Guinness to earn the ranking for the largest flag flown from a pole anywhere.
Putting Tajikstan on the map
Down on the ground, many Tajiks say they love their new national landmark⁵.
Barbee Mahmoud, a student from the eastern Pamir mountains, says the pole is a national morale⁶ booster.
He says the massive pole and flag are helping⁷ to put Tajikstan on the map.
But others argue that the pole is an extravagance for one of Central Asia’s poorest countries. The $3.5 million spent on the pole and flags was part of $210 million spent on Independence Day projects. That is equal to 10 percent of the entire annual budget of Central Asia’s poorest nation.
Zafar Abdullayev is a blogger. He notes that big spotlights⁸ will keep the flag brighhtly lit all winter long - right when most of Tajikistan will be suffering from electricity rationing⁹.
Muhiddin Kabiri, an opposition¹⁰ politician, contends the Tajik flagpole project is the result of a national inferiority complex.
He says some people who are short wear high heels to compensate¹¹ for their height. Kabiri suggests that, if the human-rights policies and politics of Tajikistan’s authoritarian¹² government dull the country's international stature¹³, it has to polish its image with an attraction like the world's tallest flagpole.
Chambers has heard such criticisms before. The pole he built here topped one he built for Azerbaijan last year in Baku.
The Azeri president evidently was so annoyed about being overtaken in the flagpole department that he skipped a regional meeting in Tajikistan last month.
More monumental flagpoles to come
With world leaders entranced by erecting¹⁴ flagpoles as tall as skyscrapers¹⁵, Chambers says orders keep coming to his Dubai-based company, Trident Support.
“We also build stately flagpoles - under 100 meters - in other countries, such as south Africa, Angola, India - places like that. Inshallah, I would love to go back and build one in America some day," Chambers said. "I will build my own if no one else wants to do it. That will be my swan song - the world’s tallest flagpole, built in Dave Chambers' backyard.”
But the United States may have to wait its turn. Next in line for Trident’s monumental flag poles are Nigeria, Malaysia, and Russia - for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

1 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

5 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

6 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 spotlights   

n.聚光灯（的光）( spotlight的名词复数 )；公众注意的中心v.聚光照明( spotlight的第三人称单数 )；使公众注意，使突出醒目

参考例句：

• The room was lit by spotlights. 房间被聚光灯照亮。
• The dazzle of the spotlights made him ill at ease. 聚光灯的耀眼强光使他局促不安。 来自辞典例句

9 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

12 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

13 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

14 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

15 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。