3月27日北京奧運會倒計時500天之際，北京奧組委在首都博物館隆重發布了北京2008年奧運會獎牌式樣。

北京2008年奧運會獎牌直徑為70毫米，厚6毫米。獎牌正面為國際奧委會統一規定的圖案——插上翅膀站立的希臘勝利女神和希臘潘納辛納科競技場。獎牌背面鑲嵌著取自中國古代龍紋玉璧造型的玉璧，背面正中的金屬圖形上鐫刻著北京奧運會會徽。獎牌掛鉤由中國傳統玉雙龍蒲紋璜演變而成。整個獎牌尊貴典雅，中國特色濃郁，既體現了對獲勝者的禮贊，也形象詮釋了中華民族自古以來以“玉”比“德”的價值觀，是中華文明與奧林匹克精神在北京奧運會形象景觀工程中的又一次“中西合璧”。

Reverse side of the Medal and the Ribbon

On the occasion of the 500-day countdown to the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) unveiled the Games' medals.

BOCOG Executive Vice-President and chairman of the evaluation panel Jiang Xiaoyu attended the unveiling ceremony and delivered a speech at the Capital Museum on Tuesday.

The medals are designed with inspiration from "bi", China's ancient jade piece inscribed with dragon pattern. The medals, made of gold and jade, symbolize nobility and virtue and are embodiment of traditional Chinese values of ethics and honor.

The medals are 70mm in diameter and 6mm in thickness. On their obverse side, the medals adopt the standard design prescribed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) -- a drawing that represents the winged goddess of victory Nike and Panathinaikos Arena, while on their reverse side, the medals are inlaid with jade with the Beijing Games emblem engraved in the metal centerpiece.

Noble and elegant, the medals are a blending of traditional Chinese culture and the Olympism. It gives the winners of the Games great honor and acclamation as recognition of their achievement.

The IOC has strict stipulation on the Olympic medals' material, identification, weight, size and drawing. The medals for the champion and the runner-up are made of pure silver, and the champion's medal must be plated with gold weighing not less than six grams each. For the first time jade is used for the Olympic medals. The design not only meets the IOC requirements, but also expresses praise and honor that the Chinese people cherish for the Olympic Spirit and the Olympic athletes.

In his speech, Jiang Xiaoyu said the Beijing 2008 Games medals will be a major part of the Olympic legacy for China. The design of the medals is a result of hard work and enthusiasm of many people. The medals, he said, embody strong Chinese style and elegant art, and are a harmonious combination of the Chinese culture with the Olympism, making them a vehicle to spread the Olympic Spirit and the concepts of the Beijing Games, as well as to showcase Chinese culture and arts, and the high levels of design and technology.

Obverse side of the Medal and the Ribbon

The medal box, ribbon and certificate, which were released simultaneously, also embody aesthetic taste of traditional Chinese culture and reflect the distinct Chinese characteristics and style.

The medal box is made of a wooden lacquer box with traditional Chinese techniques. The box is rectangular in shape, with four slightly curving sides of its lid and base, a symbol of heaven and earth, which conveys the message of happiness and best wishes for the world. The ribbon is exquisitely designed with cloud pattern woven on the red strap, sending out joyful and festive atmosphere. The certificate is made of thin silk and rice paper, an integrated whole of traditional techniques and modern printing.

On January 11, 2006, BOCOG launched a global campaign to solicit design proposals for the medals of the 2008 Games whilst inviting eleven professional organizations, including China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, to the campaign. The campaign was sponsored by BHP Billiton, the diversified minerals and medals sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.

Within three months, 265 entries were sent in from 25 provinces (municipalities, and autonomous regions) and Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR) of China, America, Australia, Russian and Germany.

BOCOG called in a panel of experts and academies in the fields of arts, sculpture and mintage, thereafter, for two round selections of the 179 valid entries, and had the medal proposal improved during the process.

BOCOG and IOC passed the final proposal on January 11, 2007 and February 8, 2007 respectively.

Vocabulary:

delivered a speech：致詞

ancient jade piece inscribed with dragon pattern：古代龍紋玉璧

victory Nike：勝利女神

Panathinaikos Arena：潘納辛納科競技場

with four slightly curving sides of its lid and base：天地蓋四邊略呈弧形

（南開大學通訊員孫偉 王樂迪投稿，英語點津boeybb編輯)

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