European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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I started feeling this, searching my conscience.
I started feeling this, searching my conscience.
Ecco perché poi anch’io ho detto basta, e ho fatto un esame di coscienza -
I might have even seemed responsible,
I might have even seemed responsible,
Io sembrava che magari fossi anche responsabile, -
and somehow I was, given my job, given the fact that I was producing weapons.
and somehow I was, given my job, given the fact that I was producing weapons.
infatti ero poi anche un responsabile perchè il mio lavoro che facevo, facevo le armi, -
I felt a bit guilty, an accomplice in all this.
I felt a bit guilty, an accomplice in all this.
mi sentivo anche un po’ responsabile di quello che stava… un complice anche di queste cose. -
That’s why we were trying to go to the mountains to fight the Germans and the fascists,
That’s why we were trying to go to the mountains to fight the Germans and the fascists,
Perciò anche con gli amici cercavamo di andare in montagna per combattere i fascisti e i tedeschi, proprio, -
with such a drive you couldn’t even imagine.
with such a drive you couldn’t even imagine.
con una carica che voialtri non potete proprio immaginare. -
Toni starts antifascist activities
Toni starts antifascist activities
Toni inizia l’attivitá antifascista -
Fascist propaganda was telling us the communists in Spain
Fascist propaganda was telling us the communists in Spain
Succedeva che la propaganda fascista diceva che i comunisti in Spagna hanno sventrato delle suore -
had raped and stabbed to death some nuns, so I really didn’t like communism much.
had raped and stabbed to death some nuns, so I really didn’t like communism much.
e violentate e tutte queste cose perciò quando si parlava del comunismo per me, non è che mi fossero stati simpatici, in poche parole. -
Then what happened?
Then what happened?
Poi che cosa è successo? -
It was 1943, the war was starting,
It was 1943, the war was starting,
Quando eravamo verso il 1943 che la guerra cominciava, -
people were talking about our retreats in Russia and in Northern Africa, the bombings, etc.
people were talking about our retreats in Russia and in Northern Africa, the bombings, etc.
si cominciava già a parlare con la ritirata dall’Unione Sovietica, con la ritirata in Nord Africa, i bombardamenti ecc. -
In spring 1943, strikes began at the Reggiane plant.
In spring 1943, strikes began at the Reggiane plant.
Poi si era praticamente nella primavera del ’43, che sono cominciati gli scioperi alle Reggiane, -
Not in my department or in the tooling department, where some of my friends were arrested.
Not in my department or in the tooling department, where some of my friends were arrested.
ma non nel mio reparto, nell’attrezzeria, che sono stati arrestati dei miei amici anche. -
From then on I started some soul-searching: what was I really doing?
From then on I started some soul-searching: what was I really doing?
Di lì ho cominciato a riflettere, proprio ho fatto un esame di coscienza: ma cosa ho fatto io? -
I was working day and night to boost production for the war,
I was working day and night to boost production for the war,
Sta lì a lavorare giorno e notte per aumentare la produzione per fare la guerra, -
while war killed people.
while war killed people.
e la guerra serve per uccidere la gente. -
I was shocked.
I was shocked.
Mi ero proprio… stato sconvolto. -
From that moment on I tried
From that moment on I tried
Dal quel momento ho cercato -
to get in contact with the antifascists, but it was impossible.
to get in contact with the antifascists, but it was impossible.
di prendere contatto con gli antifascisti… ma non c’era niente da fare.