European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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When I heard the radio I was dazed since I couldn’t understand where that deep voice was coming from.
When I heard the radio I was dazed since I couldn’t understand where that deep voice was coming from.
Quando sentii la radio per me fu una rivelazione perché non capivo questa voce così roboante da dove venisse. -
I didn’t understand what the voice was saying
I didn’t understand what the voice was saying
Non capivo neanche, naturalmente, le parole che diceva -
and the meaning behind those words, unlike my mother.
and the meaning behind those words, unlike my mother.
e il significato particolarmente di queste parole, a differenza di mia madre. -
I realized it had to be something terrible when I saw my mother crying on our way back home.
I realized it had to be something terrible when I saw my mother crying on our way back home.
Infatti capii la gravità del discorso del duce quando tornando a casa mia madre aveva le lacrime agli occhi -
She was thinking about her six boys, who all were almost old enough to be enlisted for war.
She was thinking about her six boys, who all were almost old enough to be enlisted for war.
perché pensava che aveva sei figli maschi, e quasi tutti erano in grado di essere richiamati per andare a fare la guerra. -
From that moment I wasn’t happy having listened to the radio.
From that moment I wasn’t happy having listened to the radio.
E da quel momento non fui più felice di aver sentito la radio. -
Sharecropping family; Womens conditions
Sharecropping family; Womens conditions
Mezzadria e condizione femminile -
I have always remembered the fact that when the landlord arrived in the courtyard,
I have always remembered the fact that when the landlord arrived in the courtyard,
L’altra cosa che mi è sempre rimasta in mente è che quando arrivava nel cortile la padrona -
my mother told us younger children to go inside.
my mother told us younger children to go inside.
la mamma a noi tre o quattro più piccoli ci faceva andare in casa. -
I was really curious to see the landlord woman, all dressed up and carrying a small sunshade.
I was really curious to see the landlord woman, all dressed up and carrying a small sunshade.
Non potevamo assistere. Io che ero curiosa e che avrei voluto vedere questa donna che arrivava, che era la contessa Carbonieri di Parma che arrivava con l’ombrellino e vestita benissimo -
She was the countess Carbonieri of Parma.
She was the countess Carbonieri of Parma.
non potevo vederla, perché la mamma ci mandava in casa. -
Later I understood why we had to go inside.
Later I understood why we had to go inside.
Più tardi ho capito, perché nel contratto di mezzadria -
My mother didn’t want the landlord to see us kids who could not work yet.
My mother didn’t want the landlord to see us kids who could not work yet.
i bimbi e i ragazzi che non erano braccia da lavoro e che erano solo bocche da sfamare -
She didn’t want her to count how many cups of milk she would take out every morning to feed us.
She didn’t want her to count how many cups of milk she would take out every morning to feed us.
non si voleva che la padrona arrivando nel cortile vedesse otto figli di cui quattro non potevano lavorare -
In the sharecropping contract, if four of us kids were not working, we were only more mouths to feed.
In the sharecropping contract, if four of us kids were not working, we were only more mouths to feed.
e che la padrona avesse la possibilità di contare quante tazze di latte al mattino la mamma sottraeva per darci da mangiare. -
My school only went up to the third grade.
My school only went up to the third grade.
Lì c’era solo fino alla terza elementare -
In order to do the remaining two years one had to go further away.
In order to do the remaining two years one had to go further away.
quindi gli altri due anni fino alla quinta bisognava spostarsi dal centro del comune, -
This would have meant adding three more kilometres to the three I was already doing.
This would have meant adding three more kilometres to the three I was already doing.
quindi per me che facevo già tre chilometri da casa per andare a quella scuola se ne sarebbero aggiunti altri tre per andare -
It wouldn’t have been the biggest problem though.
It wouldn’t have been the biggest problem though.
a scuola fino alla quinta elementare. Ma questo non era il problema più grosso, -
Most families thought that if they were to make sacrifices it had to be for the boys, not for the girls.
Most families thought that if they were to make sacrifices it had to be for the boys, not for the girls.
il problema più grande era che nelle famiglie oramai era diventata radicata l’abitudine e anche il pensare che se c’era qualcuno in famiglia per il quale si doveva fare un sacrificio con la maggior spesa,