help with understanding Rosetta

The original Rosetta was a PowerPC to Intel byte code translator that Apple implemented in OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.8) so users could still run qualifying older PowerPC applications on Intel Macs. It was not used with subsequent operating system releases.

As part of the Apple transition from Intel processors to their own Apple Silicon, they revived the byte code translation feature in a new product named Rosetta 2. You receive a pop-up asking you to install Rosetta 2 when you attempt to run an application that was compiled for Intel processors. If you allowed that installation, there would be no further Rosetta 2 pop-ups by subsequent Intel applications that you run. Rosetta 2 is not a panacea for all Intel X86_64 compiled applications on Apple Silicon as some of them do things that render them unsupported by Rosetta 2.

Dialabrain's recommendation to check if the vendor(s) of these Intel applications have newer versions that do not require Rosetta 2 and are built expressly for Apple Silicon is sound advice. Some vendors are making two different builds for Intel and Apple Silicon or combining Intel X86_64 and Arm64e builds in one container called a Universal2 build.

Rosetta 2 is required to run Intel only apps on an Apple Silicon Mac. Many software companies but not all have re-coded their apps to run without it. You could check to see if the two in question have updates or need Rosetta to run.

You're welcome. Yes, it's still needed in some cases and is perfectly safe.

Your question was far from idiotic. 😎