When he finally rose from his bed, history played the first of a series of cruel tricks on him — he discovered the emperor he hoped to serve had abdicated several weeks earlier.

可是在他终于能从床上站起来的时候，历史一次一次残酷地戏弄了他。他发现，他所希望去伺候的那个皇上在几个星期前已经逊位了【2】。

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He proclaimed himself emperor.

他自封为皇帝。

《牛津词典》

He was the first emperor in China.

他是中国的第一任皇帝。

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He sent an announcement to the newspapers of San Francisco saying he was Emperor Norton the First of the United States and the Protector of Mexico.

VOA: special.2009.12.14

Maybe what we should say is he thinks he remembers the experience of being crowned emperor, but it's a fake memory.

或许我们应该说，他自认为拥有那段经历，但那是虚假的记忆。

耶鲁公开课 - 死亡课程节选

He goes off and gets the support of the emperor of Austria to wage a war against his own father.

他前往奥地利想得到奥地利国王的支持,从而通过向俄国开战来反抗他的父亲

耶鲁公开课 - 欧洲文明课程节选

Having captured Moscow but with the Russian army having withdrawn and winter approaching, the emperor realised he had to turn back.

BBC: Napoleon's Moscow Kremlin letter auctioned

Shergar won like an Emperor but he hardly beat good opposition.

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But later, when George V visited India in person to be crowned emperor, he made the mistake of riding on a mere horse, which was not at all how an oriental potentate was expected to travel.

BBC: No white elephants in this herd