1190: Time/Translator

Here's a list of all the blurry text from the translator from 1190: Time, both with the original image and enhanced contrast.

Synonyms

The cartoon reflects the uncertainty of the translator's word choices and pronunciation by obscuring the text with ink blots and overlaying them with synonyms and extra meanings in large, light letters in the background.

For example, in the second panel, "whence" appears in bold letters and "from where" appears behind it in enlarged, lighter letters.

In the third panel "here" is also glossed in the background as "to this fortress".

Grammar

A note about grammar:

• The punctuation appears to be borrowed from the translator's native language.
• The ring diacritic indicates a question mark.
• A single line above a letter is a full stop.
• A double line above a letter is colon or comma.

This might help in determining the native language a bit better.

Images

Original	Enhanced contrast	Text	Background text	Notes/corrections
		"Somewhat"	"Somewhat"
		"Whence have you traveled here"	"From where"...
		"You arose here from the desert below? Nobody [unclear-1] there"	"To this fortress"... ..."sand"... ..."lives"...	U-1: "T...ires": Transpires?
		"I am sorry. Your language is like those spoken by the [unclear-1] difficult [unclear-2] but I learned it."	"I apologize" ..."tongue"..."similar"... "I"	U-1 & 2: Totally obscured.
		"Please be patient"	"Please have patience"
		"They understand nöthing so they will tend to matters."	"understand" "thus"..."attend"..."matters"
		..."bags"	"Your packs"
		"They are heavy."	"For"...[unclear-1]	U-1: "...el...ted"
		"Welcome"	"You are" ... "to it"
		"Tell me where your home is."	"Tell" ... "house"
		"What river?"
		"How many people [unclear-1] are you?"	..."numerous"	U-1: "...r...n...": strong?
		"Which is forty? All my numbers are too small." "Yes! Good."	"What"...
		"Do you carry these people with you?"		With the implicit meaning of "did they come with you?" assuming the translator doesn't believe they are Cueball's imaginary friends or action figures.
		"Oh." "Oh."
		"You do not know." "I [Unclear-1]"	"[Unclear-2]"	U-1: "n... ...sse." U-2: "...el...ina...": Possibly tell/illuminate?
		"Your sea does not stand alone: There is another sea next to it [Unclear-1] beyond the shore. It has become [Unclear-2] to yours [Unclear-3] levels differ and thus water flows"...	..."tied"...	U-1: Totally obscured. U-2: "s...ed" U-3: "b...": because? but their?
		"In time even the hills change. When people first [Unclear-1] and first built [Unclear-2] cities the seas were joined. but there was a great [Unclear-3] rock [Unclear-4] and the passage was closed. Your sea [Unclear-5] with too few rivers. Under the sun it shrank and the water fell. The sea has found a way back in."	"castles"..."welded" "mud"..."road"..."forbidden" "Now"...	U-1: "...lked": walked? talked? U-2: Totally obscured. U-3: Totally obscured. U-4: Totally obscured. U-5: "w...": was isolated?
Frame 2898		"Do you know where you are?"
Frame 2899		"I [Unclear-1] build you a map to understanding."	"Find" "[Unclear-2]"	U-1: "...l..l": Will? U-2: "Do..." Do? With the implicit meaning of "I'll find you a map to help your understanding".
Frame 2901		"This fortress is here." "This sea is yours." "This sea is joining yours."		The fortress is in southern France, the sea south of it in the present Mediterranean's basin, and the other "sea" is the Atlantic.
Frame 2902		"And this is our belief about the sea's new shore."	[Unclear-1] [Unclear-2]	U-1: "...ion": Suggestion? Conception? U-2: "...ce...": Cancel?
Frame 2904		"We learned it has happened before. When our parents were learning to walk upright, the sea fled and returned."	..."forefathers"/[unclear-1]... ..."stand"	U-1: "...ors": ancestors?
Frame 2905		"Now it is happening again."
Frame 2907		"Yes."
Frame 2908		"This castle was once an island. We found it and have tried to rebuild it."	..."fortress"..."on"... "[Unclear-1]"	U-1: "...a...red": Appeared?
Frame 2909		"I guess it will be an island again."	..."imagine"..."suppose"... ..."island again"
Frame 2910		"We are learners/teachers.* This fortress [Unclear-1] with learners/teachers* and I am their teacher/leader.*"	..."scholars" ..."ruler"	U-1: "..ar..s": shares/guards [ * ] Unlike most alt text, the "learners" and "teachers" in the first and third lines are both presented as the correct translation. Similarly "teacher" and "leader" in the last line.
Frame 2913		"I am so sorry."	"[Unclear-1]"..."sorrow"	U-1: "w...re"
Frame 2914		"When we discovered the sea was [Unclear-1] under the bank we tried to shore it up. We failed. We tried to remove everybody from the basin, but we did not know of your tribe."	"flowing" "berm"..."repair" "group"	U-1: "s...ing": seeping? U-2: "...ea": sea? area?
Frame 2915		"No."
Frame 2916		"As the water flows, it widens the breach. The berm is giving way. The sea will rush through in a [Unclear-1] torrent. The planet's mightiest river will once again come thundering down the mountainside. The sea will fill not in years but in days."	"channel" "history's"	U-1: "g...": giant? great? gushing?
Frame 2917		"The journey to your land is much too long. [Unclear-1] not send [Unclear-2] only to see them encircled and drowned by the rising tide."	"rushing"..."water"	U-1: "...l": I'll? I will? U-2: "...s": Friends?
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/035534bece5669f3ab6c6f62535ab276ade846136dbd8b4ac041aaae1ee64e9e.png Frame 2918]		"The world you knew is ending but fortune has delivered you from the flood. You did not intend to leave your home forever but be thankful you left when you did."	"grateful"
Frame 2919		"You must say your goodbyes from here. You cannot go back down into the abyss. For you have walked too far and now there is no more time to walk. The ocean is coming."	"cannot"..."return" "sea"..."here"