Strange how generations of Europeans immigrants could understand the traditional mass, but this generation of Americans is too stupid to participate.
My mother used to work for Scandinavian Airlines. As a small child, she took me to Europe. Regardless of where we attended Mass (Copenhagen, Paris, Rome), we could follow along because it was the same Mass and it was in Latin.
OTOH, though, unless one understood Latin, the only way to follow along was with the English text on the opposing page. That meant recognizing hand motions in order to keep up with the priest. Also, it was a time when one attended Mass out of fear of condemnation to hell. The churches, though packed, were hot in summer because there was no a/c. It was also difficult to follow the Mass because there were no sound systems.
There is great merit in attending a liturgy celebrated in one's own language. Though Roman Catholic, I am a parishioner in one of the Eastern (Maronite) Catholic Churches. They followed the council's lead and translated their texts into English here in the US. The liturgical language of the Maronite Catholic Church is Aramaic! Now that would be a challenge to follow! As it is, the Maronites have retained Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, His mother and the apostles, as the language used during the consecration. We have several other prayers in Aramaic but, for the most part, the major portions of the liturgy are in English in the US. It is a magnificent liturgy that is chanted by both the priest and the congregation, at ALL the masses. There is extensive use of incense at each liturgical celebration, not just for high holy days.
Essentially, you are right. It does not take a liturgical scholar to understand the Mass but it becomes far more meaningful when translated into the vernacular.
I grew up with the Latin Mass and, to this day, I still miss it.
Went to Holy Thursday “multicultural” Mass and it was not until the Gospel that I heard the first words of English spoken. (By the way, I live in America.) I do not speak Vietnamese nor Spanish.
And the people still complain about Latin being a foreign language. Sigh.