美國電影女演員琳達·布萊爾在《驅(qū)魔人》之后面臨“中年危機”，這讓她開始了動物志愿者工作

Linda Blair is opening up about what led to her years-long animal volunteer work.
琳達·布萊爾公開了她多年來從事動物志愿者工作的原因。

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the actress and activist, 64, speaks candidly about how a "midlife crisis" that occurred after her breakout role in 1973's The Exorcist led to what she describes as her "life's calling."
在接受《人物》雜志獨家專訪時，這位64歲的女演員兼活動家坦率地談到了1973年出演電影《驅(qū)魔人》后發(fā)生的“中年危機”如何導致了她所謂的“人生使命”。

"In my 20s, I said, 'I really am struggling.' It was like, for some, a midlife crisis," Blair explains. "But, for me, it was my life's calling, saying, 'What about me? The animals need help.' "
“20多歲的時候，我說，‘我真的很掙扎。’對一些人來說，這就像一場中年危機，”布萊爾解釋說。“但是，對我來說，這是我生命的召喚，我在說，‘我怎么辦?動物們需要幫助。’”

"So that's where I really started buckling down ... and I was giving my time and money," she continues.
“所以這就是我真正開始全力以赴的地方……我付出了我的時間和金錢，”她繼續(xù)說道。

Blair stepped into worldwide prominence with her role in The Exorcist, in which she played Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl, who is possessed by an ancient demon.
布萊爾在電影《驅(qū)魔人》中飾演一個被古老惡魔附身的12歲女孩Regan MacNeil，并因此一舉成名。

Before being cast, however, Blair had dreams of one day being a veterinarian, and says she took on small modeling and commercials roles in an effort to fund her future goal.
然而，在出演之前，布萊爾一直夢想著有一天能成為一名獸醫(yī)，她說她接受了一些小模特和廣告角色，以努力為她未來的目標提供資金。

"It wasn't Hollywood," she explains. "That wasn't what we signed up for. We weren't looking for that, we were looking for funding for me to pursue my dream, which was to go to Cornell [University]."
“那不是好萊塢，”她解釋說。“這不是我們當初想要的。我們不是在找錢，我們是在找資金讓我去追求我的夢想，那就是去康奈爾大學。”

Eventually, auditions for The Exorcist came around, and after a long process — which Blair says included "makeup tests" and "psychological tests" — she was cast in the role, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win.
最終，《驅(qū)魔人》的試鏡開始了，經(jīng)過漫長的過程——布萊爾說包括“化妝測試”和“心理測試”——她被選為這個角色，并為她贏得了奧斯卡獎提名和金球獎。

Blair says that she still had a normal childhood amid filming the horror film, and details that she made sure to keep her love of animals in her heart through it all.
布萊爾說，在拍攝這部恐怖電影的過程中，她仍然有一個正常的童年，她確保自己對動物的愛一直在她的心中。

"They made sure on the weekends I went out," she explains. "I got to ride my horses [and] I had raised a rooster in an incubator on the set for my science project."
“他們確保我周末出去玩，”她解釋說。“我可以騎馬，為了我的科學項目，我在片場的孵化器里養(yǎng)了一只公雞。”

But, once The Exorcist was released and became a smash hit, Blair says, "It changed the direction of what I wanted."
但是，當《驅(qū)魔人》上映并大獲成功后，布萊爾說:“它改變了我想要的方向。”

"So I worked and I worked," she adds. "I'm proud, now, of all these movies ... and I know they changed a lot of lives, so for that, I am very grateful."
“所以我一直工作，一直工作，”她補充道。“現(xiàn)在，我為所有這些電影感到驕傲……我知道他們改變了很多人的生活，因此，我非常感激。”

Still, Blair's love of animals remained at the forefront of her mind — and her heart — and she knew there was something she needed to do with her platform.
盡管如此，布萊爾對動物的熱愛仍然是她思想和心靈的最前沿，她知道她需要為自己的平臺做些什么。

So in 2003, she launched The Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating abused, neglected and abandoned animals, which also provides them with proper nutrition, veterinary care, comfortable facilities, training, socializing and, per its website, an "abundance of love."
因此，2003年，她成立了琳達·布萊爾世界愛心基金會，這是一個致力于拯救和康復被虐待、被忽視和被遺棄的動物的非營利組織，該組織還為它們提供適當?shù)臓I養(yǎng)、獸醫(yī)護理、舒適的設(shè)施、培訓、社交以及其網(wǎng)站上所說的“豐富的愛”。

Looking back, Blair says her late mother, Elinore Blair, inspired her to love animals since she was a young girl. "She really created who I am, and she loved life," she says.
回首往事，布萊爾說，她已故的母親埃莉諾·布萊爾從小就激勵她熱愛動物。“是她造就了現(xiàn)在的我，她熱愛生活，”她說。

"And she was one of the kindest people I know and just always said, 'Hang with like-minded people, and do volunteering. You're going to meet people that are going to change your life, it just is the way it is,' " Blair adds.
“她是我認識的最善良的人之一，她總是說，‘和志同道合的人在一起，做志愿者。你會遇到改變你生活的人，事情就是這樣，’”布萊爾補充道。

Now, even with her foundation thriving, Blair tells PEOPLE there is still work to do to ensure that the dogs rescued are living their best lives before moving on to their "fur-ever" homes.
現(xiàn)在，盡管她的基金會蒸蒸日上，但布萊爾告訴《人物》雜志，要確保這些被救出的狗在搬到它們“永遠的”家之前過著最好的生活，還有很多工作要做。

"I think a lot of people in animal welfare need to get more involved so that we can make the changes that are necessary," she explains. "But that requires funding. We get nothing from the state, nothing from the government. There is no financial aid for the rescue community. Shelters can keep applying for state funding, but not the rescue groups."
她解釋說:“我認為很多從事動物福利的人需要更多地參與進來，這樣我們才能做出必要的改變。”“但這需要資金。我們從國家和政府那里什么也得不到。救援團體沒有財政援助。庇護所可以繼續(xù)申請國家資助，但救援組織不行。”

"That's why I've been saying, help in your area, volunteer, foster and adopt. Ask what can you do," Blair continues. "You can do a bake sale and bring that money, or you could provide food and blankets as you're cleaning out your closet."
“這就是為什么我一直說，在你的地區(qū)幫助，志愿者，寄養(yǎng)和收養(yǎng)。問自己你能做什么，”布萊爾繼續(xù)說道。“你可以做一個糕餅義賣，把錢帶來，或者你可以在清理衣櫥的時候提供食物和毯子。”

Adds the star: "And when it all comes down to voting [in] any of these elections, make sure you know who you're really voting for, because that is who dictates what you get in your life and the love that we can have on this planet."
這位明星補充說:“當要在任何選舉中投票時，確保你知道你真正投票給誰，因為誰決定了你在生活中得到什么，以及我們在這個星球上可以擁有的愛。”