European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Three or four days after September 8th, the air-raid warning went off.
Three or four days after September 8th, the air-raid warning went off.
Io… suona l’allarme, ma 3 o 4 giorni dopo l’8 settembre, suona l’allarme… -
We fled on our bicycles.
We fled on our bicycles.
scappiamo in bicicletta. -
After a while we went back home, since we didn’t hear anything and the warning had stopped.
After a while we went back home, since we didn’t hear anything and the warning had stopped.
Dopo un po’, cessato… non si sente niente, torniamo a casa, cessa anche l’allarme e torniamo a casa. -
As I arrived at the beginning of Dalmazia street, as we always fled towards Codemondo or the Canalina,
As I arrived at the beginning of Dalmazia street, as we always fled towards Codemondo or the Canalina,
Come arrivo in via Dalmazia, all’inizio, perché scappavamo sempre verso Codemondo o verso la Canalina... quando arrivo all’inizio -
the SS were standing in front of the houses.
the SS were standing in front of the houses.
di via Dalmazia dove abito io, c’è tutta l’SS che piantona le case. -
In front of my house there was a space we called the “palace”,
In front of my house there was a space we called the “palace”,
Io arrivo davanti a casa mia, volto, sono in bicicletta, volto... però davanti a casa mia c’era una... lo chiamavamo “la Reggia” -
where we used to put tables and chairs in the summer.
where we used to put tables and chairs in the summer.
perché era tutto lastricato dove noi mettevamo d’estate i tavoli con le sedie, ecc. -
As I got there, a German unit with a machine gun told me to stop.
As I got there, a German unit with a machine gun told me to stop.
C’è una formazione tedesca con una mitragliatrice “Alt!”, -
I replied: “It’s my house!”
I replied: “It’s my house!”
e io dico: “Casa mia. Io, casa mia! Io! Casa mia!”. -
The soldier just told me: “Halt, raus!”.
The soldier just told me: “Halt, raus!”.
E quello: “Alt, raus!”. -
I didn’t understand any German, but “raus” meant go away, leave.
I didn’t understand any German, but “raus” meant go away, leave.
Io, che non capisco un’acca di tedesco, però raus voleva dire “togliti dai piedi”, cioè “va via”, -
I told him: “That’s my house; I have to fix dinner for my brothers”.
I told him: “That’s my house; I have to fix dinner for my brothers”.
io continuo: “Ma io, casa mia... fare da mangiare per i miei fratelli”, -
Again, he replied: “Raus, schnell, schnell!” and pointed the gun at me.
Again, he replied: “Raus, schnell, schnell!” and pointed the gun at me.
e lui: “Raus! Schnell, Schnell!”. E mi punta il fucile. -
I quietly went back with my bicycle and met Maria, who had the same thing happening to her.
I quietly went back with my bicycle and met Maria, who had the same thing happening to her.
Allora io, quatta quatta, torno indietro con la mia bicicletta e incontro la Maria, che su per giù ha avuto la stessa cosa; -
It’s not the fear of the gun,
It’s not the fear of the gun,
senti, è stato un momento... non è la paura del fucile, -
it’s realizing that you’re absolutely nothing to them.
it’s realizing that you’re absolutely nothing to them.
ma in quel momento ti sei resa conto che tu non vali niente, -
These men in uniform, who looked like cockroaches,
These men in uniform, who looked like cockroaches,
che uomini in divisa che sembravano tanti scarafaggi, in divisa, -
who spoke a language you didn’t know because they weren’t even from your own country,
who spoke a language you didn’t know because they weren’t even from your own country,
che parlano una lingua che tu non conosci, perché non sono nemmeno del tuo paese, -
not only could keep you from going inside your home, but also had the power to kill you.
not only could keep you from going inside your home, but also had the power to kill you.
hanno non solo il potere di impedirti di entrare in casa, ma hanno anche il potere di ucciderti, -
You were nothing to them; you were less than a bug.
You were nothing to them; you were less than a bug.
per cui tu sei niente nei confronti di loro, per loro vali meno di un insetto.