European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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After a while of walking, a partisan patrol came towards us.
After a while of walking, a partisan patrol came towards us.
Noi andiamo, dopo poco ci arriva incontro una pattuglia, -
They were from the Rosselli detachment. Rosselli was one of the local partisans. Then we reached the detachment.
They were from the Rosselli detachment. Rosselli was one of the local partisans. Then we reached the detachment.
cioè un gruppo di partigiani del distaccamento Rosselli, lui era già, era uno dei partigiani della zona, ci son venuti incontro e arrivo in distaccamento. -
There, the commander started talking to us. He wanted to know why we went to the mountains.
There, the commander started talking to us. He wanted to know why we went to the mountains.
Come arrivo in distaccamento il comandante parla con noi, vuol sapere perché siamo andate su, -
We explained to him what had happened. And the situation changed again. A different reality hit us.
We explained to him what had happened. And the situation changed again. A different reality hit us.
gli spieghiamo quello che è successo, e anche lì un capovolgimento della situazione, una realtà completamente diversa, -
We didn’t only have to learn to fight, as the commander told us:
We didn’t only have to learn to fight, as the commander told us:
che non è solo che devi imparare a combattere, ma il comandante partigiano dice: -
“From this moment you’re not men or women anymore, you’re partisans.
“From this moment you’re not men or women anymore, you’re partisans.
“Guardate, in questo momento voi non siete più né uomini né donne, siete dei partigiani, -
You’ll do what the others do, share things with us and sleep in the same rooms,
You’ll do what the others do, share things with us and sleep in the same rooms,
fate ciò che fanno gli altri, dividete con noi e dormite nelle stanze con noi, -
share our meals and all the tasks we must carry out, like patrolling the area.
share our meals and all the tasks we must carry out, like patrolling the area.
dividete con noi il pasto, dividete con noi quello che c’è da fare, cioè pattuglie, -
You should learn to handle weapons, know how to care for them, load them, and how to use them.
You should learn to handle weapons, know how to care for them, load them, and how to use them.
inizialmente imparerete piano piano, intanto imparate ad adoperare le armi, a conoscere le armi, come accudirle, come conservarle, come caricarle e come utilizzarle”. -
You’ll mount guard and take part in the patrols. Little by little you’ll become combatants.
You’ll mount guard and take part in the patrols. Little by little you’ll become combatants.
Poi dice: “Vi faremo fare guardia, pattuglia e piano piano imparerete a diventare delle combattenti. -
Here you have the same rights and obligations as everyone else.
Here you have the same rights and obligations as everyone else.
Però qui avete i medesimi diritti e i medesimi doveri dei partigiani, -
Nobody should put you into trouble and you should behave so that nobody else ends up in trouble because of you”.
Nobody should put you into trouble and you should behave so that nobody else ends up in trouble because of you”.
qui nessuno vi deve mettere in difficoltà e voi dovete comportarvi da non mettere nessuno in difficoltà”. -
At night, at first they had given us a room which was full of bedbugs.
At night, at first they had given us a room which was full of bedbugs.
Infatti la sera andiamo a dormire, figurati... prima ci avevano messo a dormire in una stanza, era piena di cimici, -
We had to run out of it as we couldn’t sleep because of the bites.
We had to run out of it as we couldn’t sleep because of the bites.
siamo dovute scappare perché non si riusciva a dormire per i pizzicotti che prendevi, -
So the first night I slept with them I was between De Pietri, a partisan from Reggio
So the first night I slept with them I was between De Pietri, a partisan from Reggio
e siamo andate a dormire... la prima sera che ho dormito con loro io ero fra De Pietri che era un partigiano di Reggio, -
and a young Sardinian carabiniere who had refused to follow the Germans’ orders and went to the partisans.
and a young Sardinian carabiniere who had refused to follow the Germans’ orders and went to the partisans.
una persona che sono sempre stata amica anche dopo, e un carabiniere, un giovane carabiniere sardo che non aveva accettato l’ordine dei tedeschi ed era scappato con i partigiani. -
We chatted all night long.
We chatted all night long.
Abbiamo chiacchierato tutta notte, -
They asked me about things in the city and I asked them how we should have behaved, etc.
They asked me about things in the city and I asked them how we should have behaved, etc.
loro mi domandavano informazioni dalla città e io domandavo informazioni a loro, insomma, come ci dovevamo comportare, ecc. -
I really became aware of the differences.
I really became aware of the differences.
E mi son resa conto veramente della differenza. -
At home, there was no way you could sleep next to a man!
At home, there was no way you could sleep next to a man!
A casa, dormire vicino a un uomo... stavi fresca!