When in July 1887 a new railway bridge was opened across the River Tay in eastern Scotland, William McGonagall, a local weaver, was moved to poetic rhapsodies: As I gaze upon thee my heart feels gay / Because thou are the greatest railway bridge of the present day / And can be seen for miles away...
It was not his first poem about the crossing. His most celebrated work, though perhaps not for the reasons he anticipated, was written after the tragic collapse of the first Tay bridge eight years earlier. Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay! / Alas! I am very sorry to say / That ninety lives have been taken away. .. (In fact 75 people died.)
McGonagall doesn't know beans about writing good poetry. He has long been celebrated as Britain’s worst poet, inspiring satirical tributes to his doggerel awfulness from Spike Milligan, Monty Python and even the Muppets. Now the poet, who was once pelted with fruit during his readings and who his own appreciation society call “without talent,” is in demand.
PHOTO: AP
A collection of his poems, on A3 newspaper-style leaflets the poet is believed to have printed, was auctioned last month at an Edinburgh saleroom for £6,600 (NT$395,000).
“I don’t think he would have the same impact if he was only a bit mediocre,” Alex Dove, books expert at Lyon & Turnbull saleroom, said. “His appeal is because he’s so very bad. His use of language, his inability to deal with any sense of rhythm, that’s what makes him so humorous.”
Jonathan Steward, landlord of Dundee’s Mennies pub, home of the appreciation society, agreed. “It’s so bad it’s good.”
(THE GUARDIAN)
一八八七年七月一座橫跨蘇格蘭東部泰河的新建鐵橋開通時，當地一名紡織工人威廉．麥戈納格感動地吟詠詩作：當我凝望汝，我心歡喜�因為汝是當今最偉大的鐵橋�在數哩之外就映入眼簾...
這並不是他為這座跨橋所寫的第一首詩。雖然未必出於本意，但他最著名的作品卻是一八七九年第一座泰橋塌垮悲劇發生後寫下的詩：銀白色泰河上美麗的鐵橋�唉啊！我非常難過地說�九十條人命就這樣斷送了…（事實上，是七十五人喪生）。
麥戈納格對如何創作一首雋美的詩一竅不通。他向來有英國最糟糕詩人之稱，他那些拙劣的爛詩備受史派克•米利根（英國喜劇演員）、蒙地蟒蛇劇團，甚至大青蛙布偶秀的嘲諷。麥戈納格曾在朗讀自己詩作時被人丟擲水果，就連他的後援會都說他「毫無天份」，但他現在可是炙手可熱。
上個月在愛丁堡一場拍賣會上，一本他的系列詩選以六千六百英鎊（新台幣三十九萬五千元）成交。這本詩選據信是他自己出錢印刷在A3大小的報紙式傳單上。
里昂與特恩布爾拍賣公司的圖書專家艾歷克斯．德芙說：「我想如果他的作品只有一點點糟糕，就不會這麼有影響力了。他之所以吸引人，就是因為他的詩實在是爛透了。他的用字遣詞和不會處理押韻的筆調，才是讓他如此滑稽的原因。」
鄧迪市的曼尼酒吧是麥戈納格後援會的總部，老闆強納森．史都華也認同地說：「真是爛得好啊。」
（衛報�翻譯：袁星塵）
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