European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Trying to stay alive
Trying to stay alive
Cercare di sopravvivere -
At that point I was determined to come back home,
At that point I was determined to come back home,
Io mi ero messo in testa che volevo tornare a casa, -
I could not stand ending up like that anymore.
I could not stand ending up like that anymore.
perché non era mica giusto che facessi quella fine lì; -
I ate just as bad as the others,
I ate just as bad as the others,
ho mangiato male come gli altri, -
although my doctor tells me today that those two years in Germany
although my doctor tells me today that those two years in Germany
nonostante il dottore adesso continui a dirmi “quei due anni in Germania -
were good for my health and helped me to stay alive.
were good for my health and helped me to stay alive.
ti hanno fatto bene, ti hanno aiutato a sopravvivere”, -
I didn’t do much, but I was never scared of not being able to make it home one day.
I didn’t do much, but I was never scared of not being able to make it home one day.
io non facevo niente, però non mi sono mai preoccupato, non ho mai avuto il pensiero di non venire a casa. -
Only during the last three months did I let go:
Only during the last three months did I let go:
Io ho mollato gli ultimi due o tre mesi: -
I could not remember my family anymore,
I could not remember my family anymore,
non ricordavo più la mia famiglia, -
it was as if that notion had vanished,
it was as if that notion had vanished,
cioè era un pensiero che mi era andato via, -
and it’s something I could not understand back then.
and it’s something I could not understand back then.
questo non lo capivo neanche io. -
I was exhausted,
I was exhausted,
Mi ero stancato, -
the food was terrible for all of us, but I did my best to survive even in those conditions.
the food was terrible for all of us, but I did my best to survive even in those conditions.
però anche nella mia stanchezza ho cercato di sopravvivere, il mangiare era così per tutti. -
Regarding my weight, you hear people say they were thirty-eight or forty kilos, but I never did weigh myself.
Regarding my weight, you hear people say they were thirty-eight or forty kilos, but I never did weigh myself.
Per la storia del peso, quando senti la gente dire trentotto chili, quaranta chili, io non mi sono mai pesato, -
I might have weighed around fifty or fifty-five.
I might have weighed around fifty or fifty-five.
sarò stato cinquanta chili, cinquantacinque, -
I know I was skinny, but I just had to live with that.
I know I was skinny, but I just had to live with that.
io so che ero magro, però sono stato con la mia magrezza; -
I saw some die in anguish, crying:
I saw some die in anguish, crying:
ho visto della gente morire perché si trovavano male, piangevano, -
many had a wife and kids, and those were different kinds of problems.
many had a wife and kids, and those were different kinds of problems.
c’era anche della gente che aveva moglie e figli, quelli erano problemi diversi. -
Then the Americans arrived at my camp.
Then the Americans arrived at my camp.
Nel nostro campo gli americani sono passati, -
They left some guards, but we were free to go wherever we wanted.
They left some guards, but we were free to go wherever we wanted.
sono rimaste le loro guardie ma noi andavano dove volevamo;