Megillah, Daf Kaf Aleph, Part 4
Introduction
The mishnah taught that people can simultaneously read the Megillah. This section again limits the mishnah’s rule to the Megillah.
קראה אחד קראוה שנים יצאו וכו‘, תנא: מה שאין כן בתורה.
תנו רבנן: בתורה אחד קורא ואחד מתרגם, ובלבד שלא יהא אחד קורא ושנים מתרגמין.
ובנביא אחד קורא ושנים מתרגמין, ובלבד שלא יהו שנים קורין ושנים מתרגמין.
ובהלל ובמגילה – אפילו עשרה קורין ועשרה מתרגמין.
מאי טעמא? כיון דחביבה – יהבי דעתייהו ושמעי.
Whether one reads it or two read it, they have fulfilled their obligation.
A Tanna stated: This is not the case with [the public reading of] the Torah.
Our Rabbis taught: As regards the Torah, one reads and one translates, as long as one does not read and two translate [together].
As regards the Prophets, one reads and two may translate, as long as two do not read and two translate.
As regards Hallel and the Megillah, even ten may read [and ten may translate].
What is the reason? Since the people like it, they pay attention and hear.
It is more difficult to hear two people speaking at the same time. Therefore, the Torah, which seems to be the most difficult and most important text, must be read and translated by only one person at a time.
The Prophets, from where the Haftorah is drawn, can be translated simultaneously by two people, but it must be read by only one person at a time.
Finally, Hallel and the Megillah may even be read by ten people at a time. People love those texts so much that they will strain to hear them even from many simultaneous voices.
The translation the Talmud refers to here is not reading Onkelos or any other translation. In the time of the Talmud the translation into Aramaic was not yet composed, even if there were normal translations. This would seem to make it quite difficult for two people to translate at the same time.