另一个当代苏格兰作家伊恩·克赖顿·司密斯(Iain CrichtonSmith)也曾用英语译过麦克林的一些诗,对他十分钦佩。他认为麦克林的诗有三大特点:一、独特的个人风格,然又不失盖尔语的气氛(盖尔语是苏格兰部分地区的方言,也是爱尔兰的民族语言,有纯朴、古老的文学传统)。二、革命题材,如在写于三十年代的诗里;麦克林是一个共产主义者,在西班牙内战期间支持民主政府,后来佛朗哥胜利了,他引为奇耻大辱(这在许多诗里有表现)。三、现代敏感,也就是说有现代诗的特色。这三点归纳见于司密斯所译麦克林《写给埃姆赫的诗》(1971)的《前言》。 Iain Crichton Smith, another contemporary Scottish writer, also translated some of Macklin’s poems in English and admired him. He believes that there are three main characteristics of Macklin’s poetry: First, the unique personal style, however, without losing the Gaelic atmosphere (Gaelic dialects in some parts of Scotland, but also Ireland’s national language, a simple, ancient literary tradition ). Second, the revolutionary theme, as in the poem written in the thirties; Macklin was a communist, support for democratic government during the Spanish Civil War, and later Franco triumphed, he cited the insult (which in many poems which performed). Third, modern sensitive, that is to say, the characteristics of modern poetry. These three points are summarized in the “Foreword” written by Smith in the book “Poems for Emch” (1971).