The Beijing Olympic Games organization committee released a set of symbols representing each of the sports for the 2008 Games on Monday, one day before its two-year countdown to the opening ceremonies.
The release ceremony is one of a set of celebrations held by the organization committee to mark the two-year countdown to the Games.
Olympic pictographs, which were first seen at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, are used as the official marks for the broadcasting, advertising and marketing of the Games.
The pictographs for the 2008 Beijing Olympics include 35 icons, representing each of the sports in the 2008 summer Games.
The designs, named 'the Beauty of the Seal' are based on the strokes used for seals, which were widely used in inscriptions on bones and bronze vessels in ancient China some 3,000 years ago.
Four design institutes were asked to submit designs for the pictographs by the organization committee in March of 2005. 'The Beauty of the Seal', by the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, finally won out.
词汇：
countdown：n. 倒数计秒
pictograph：n. 象形文字,
seal：n. 印, 图章
inscription：n. 铭文
相关链接：
2008年奥运会体育图标以篆字结构为基本形式，兼具中国古代甲骨文、金文等文字的象形意趣和现代图形的简化特征。
“篆”有“圆转”之意
据了解，在中国，“篆”有“圆转”之意，圆润流畅、秀美典雅、刚柔并济，集中体现了中国传统美学的精华与神韵。它不仅符合体育图标易识别、易记忆、易使用的简化要求，更通过其特有的形态动势将体育图标的运动特征和丰富的文化内涵凝练，达到了形与意的和谐统一。
“拓片”凸显黑白对比
2008年奥运会体育图标还有“拓片”的应用形式。“拓片”是把器物上的图形、文字、纹饰等用墨拓印在宣纸上，能生动细腻地再现器物上的图文内容，其独特的形式与表现力，使之成为典型的中国传统艺术形式之一。2008年奥运会体育图标的“拓片”形式正是运用这一艺术形式，以强有力的黑白对比，表现挑战极限的运动美感。拓片中的运动造型生动形象、呼之欲出，体现了运动的激情与生命的张力。
两家美术学院联手
为确保创作出最高水准的作品，北京奥组委请中央美术学院和清华大学美术学院联合成立设计工作小组，共同对入选的两套体育图标方案进行修改完善。
修改期间，设计小组多次邀请国内外专家审看设计方案，对设计方案进行了多次修改。确定最终设计方案为“篆书之美”。