《太平广记·卷二百八十五·幻术二》
大帝急忙追上老人询问是否属实，老人回答说，那瓜是在土里埋着的，再往下看，只得到了一百钱。
上追老人至，问之；云：土埋一瓜，拟进。适看，唯得百钱耳。
The emperor hurriedly approached the old man to see if this was true. The old man replied that the melon was buried in the earth. Looking further into it, he only recovered a hundred coins.
<s>[INST] Given the Classical Chinese text: 上追老人至，问之；云：土埋一瓜，拟进。适看，唯得百钱耳。, provide a step-by-step translation process to arrive at the English translation. [/INST]
Step 1: Identify the main verb and its object: 上追老人至，问之。追 (zhui) means "to pursue" or "to approach", 老人 (laoren) means "an old man", 至 (zhi) means "to arrive", and 问 (wen) means "to ask". Therefore, the main verb is 问 (wen) and its object is 老人 (laoren).
Step 2: Translate the subject and the verb: 上追老人至，问之。上 (shang) means "to go up" or "to approach", 追 (zhui) means "to pursue" or "to approach", 老人 (laoren) means "an old man", 至 (zhi) means "to arrive", and 问 (wen) means "to ask". Therefore, the subject is 上追老人 (shangzhui laoren) and the verb is 问 (wen). The translation is "The emperor hurriedly approached the old man to ask".
Step 3: Translate the rest of the sentence: 云：土埋一瓜，拟进。适看，唯得百钱耳。云 (yun) means "to say", 土 (tu) means "earth", 埋 (mai) means "to bury", 一 (yi) means "one", 瓜 (gua) means "a melon", 拟 (ni) means "to intend", 进 (jin) means "to offer", 适 (shi) means "just now", 看 (kan) means "to look", 唯 (wei) means "only", 得 (de) means "to obtain", 百 (bai) means "hundred", 钱 (qian) means "coins", and 耳 (er) is a语气词 (yuqici) that indicates the end of a sentence. Therefore, the translation is "The old man replied that the melon was buried in the earth. Looking further into it, he only recovered a hundred coins."
Final English translation: The emperor hurriedly approached the old man to see if this was true. The old man replied that the melon was buried in the earth. Looking further into it, he only recovered a hundred coins.</s>
Given the Classical Chinese text: 上追老人至，问之；云：土埋一瓜，拟进。适看，唯得百钱耳。, provide a step-by-step translation process to arrive at the English translation.
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Step 1: Identify the main verb and its object: 上追老人至，问之。追 (zhui) means "to pursue" or "to approach", 老人 (laoren) means "an old man", 至 (zhi) means "to arrive", and 问 (wen) means "to ask". Therefore, the main verb is 问 (wen) and its object is 老人 (laoren).
Step 2: Translate the subject and the verb: 上追老人至，问之。上 (shang) means "to go up" or "to approach", 追 (zhui) means "to pursue" or "to approach", 老人 (laoren) means "an old man", 至 (zhi) means "to arrive", and 问 (wen) means "to ask". Therefore, the subject is 上追老人 (shangzhui laoren) and the verb is 问 (wen). The translation is "The emperor hurriedly approached the old man to ask".
Step 3: Translate the rest of the sentence: 云：土埋一瓜，拟进。适看，唯得百钱耳。云 (yun) means "to say", 土 (tu) means "earth", 埋 (mai) means "to bury", 一 (yi) means "one", 瓜 (gua) means "a melon", 拟 (ni) means "to intend", 进 (jin) means "to offer", 适 (shi) means "just now", 看 (kan) means "to look", 唯 (wei) means "only", 得 (de) means "to obtain", 百 (bai) means "hundred", 钱 (qian) means "coins", and 耳 (er) is a语气词 (yuqici) that indicates the end of a sentence. Therefore, the translation is "The old man replied that the melon was buried in the earth. Looking further into it, he only recovered a hundred coins."
Final English translation: The emperor hurriedly approached the old man to see if this was true. The old man replied that the melon was buried in the earth. Looking further into it, he only recovered a hundred coins.
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