This statement is the most compelling answer to the question: "why stories matter".

The the metaphorical use of the word trunk is striking as it is representing memories rather than physical objects and possessions. The memories that had been stored in another language deeply embedded in sorrow and pain were now " soggy and useless", as the depth of their meaning had been lost in translation. The connotation of the word "checkpoint" in English does not bare as heavily on the ears of those who do not come from homelands where persecution and oppression are common place. For those who have experienced occupation the checkpoint is not just a physical barrier that separates towns , it is the reminder of their daily dehumanization. Approaching checkpoints represents a loss of dignity. There is so much more to translation than merely finding a word with the same meaning.