Achille-Claude Debussy was a French composer. He and Maurice Ravel were the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music, although Debussy disliked the term when applied to his compositions. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed.
德彪西时一位法国作曲家。他与拉威尔是印象派音乐界（impressionist music）最杰出的人物（most prominent figures），尽管德彪西本人并不喜欢他的作品被称为印象主义。1903年他被授予了法国荣誉军团勋章（Legion of Honour），并受封为勋爵（Chevalier）。他是19世纪到20世纪初最具影响力的（most influential）作曲家之一。他颠覆性地使用音阶和半音阶（scales & chromaticism）对后世许多作曲家产生了深远的影响。
Debussy's music is noted for its sensory content and frequent use of nontraditional tonalities. The prominent French literary style of his period was known as Symbolism, and this movement directly inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active cultural participant.
德彪西的音乐因其情感丰富的内涵（sensory content）和颠覆性的音调使用而闻名于世（be noted for）。同时期杰出的法国文体风格被称为象征主义（Symbolism），这场运动直接地影响了作曲家同时也是一位文化学者的德彪西。
