The 29th Olympic Games begin at 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2008 at Beijing . The lucky number "8" is similar to the sound of the Chinese character, 发 which means "to get rich," "to make fortune," "to develop" and "to make great progress," and it stirs a strong hope among Chinese not only for making the Olympic games successful but turning this 5,000-year-old country into a respectable superpower.
奥运 is the short form for 奥林匹克运动会 （the Olympic Games )， 加油 —— is a Chinese slang meaning to make an extra effort or to cheer sb.on. Its original meaning is to fill with oil or gas.
These days , you might hear the slogans “四川， 加油！ ”" 中国，加油！” 奥运，加油！”