This question can not be answered from the scriptures in my opinion. I am answering according to what Swami Vivekananda thought about it.
Source: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 6/Conversations and Dialogues/IX
According to Swami Vivekananda, Max Muller, who translated the Vedas, was the rebirth of the Vedic commentator Sayana.
The disciple of Vivekananda objects to that and says how is it that Sayana, instead of getting born in the holy land of Bharata, got born (in his next birth) in a so called Mleccha country?
To which Swamiji's reply was that when a person is capable enough to do a task, as difficult as translating the Vedas, why look for his caste? That he is already capable and qualified his effort only shows.
For the last ten days, the disciple had been studying Sâyana's
commentary on the Rig-Veda with Swamiji, who was staying then at the
house of the late Babu Balaram Bose at Baghbazar. Max Müller's volumes
on the Rig-Veda had been brought from a wealthy friend's private
library. Swamiji was correcting the disciple every now and then and
giving him the true pronunciation or construction as necessary.
Sometimes while explaining the arguments of Sayana to establish the
eternity of the Vedas, Swamiji was praising very highly the
commentator's wonderful ingenuity; sometimes again while arguing out
the deeper significance of the doctrine, he was putting forward a
difference in view and indulging in an innocent squib at Sayana.
While our study had proceeded thus for a while, Swamiji raised the
topic about Max Müller and continued thus: Well, do you know, my
impression is that it is Sayana who is born again as Max Müller to
revive his own commentary on the Vedas? I have had this notion for
long. It became confirmed in my mind, it seems, after I had seen Max
Müller. Even here in this country, you don't find a scholar so
persevering, and so firmly grounded in the Vedas and the Vedanta. Over
and above this, what a deep, unfathomable respect for Sri Ramakrishna!
Do you know, he believes in his Divine Incarnation! And what great
hospitality towards me when I was his guest! Seeing the old man and
his lady, it seemed to me that they were living their home-life like
another Vasishtha and Arundhati! At the time of parting with me, tears
came into the eyes of the old man.
Disciple: But, sir, if Sayana himself became Max Müller, then why
was he born as a Mlechchha instead of being born in the sacred land of
India?
Swamiji: The feeling and the distinction that I am an Aryan and the
other is a Mlechchha come from ignorance. But what are Varnâshrama and
caste divisions to one who is the commentator of the Vedas, the
shining embodiment of knowledge? To him they are wholly meaningless,
and he can assume human birth wherever he likes for doing good to
mankind. Specially, if he did not choose to be born in a land which
excelled both in learning and wealth, where would he secure the large
expenses for publishing such stupendous volumes? Didn't you hear that
the East India Company paid nine lakhs of rupees in cash to have the
Rig-Veda published? Even this money was not enough. Hundreds of Vedic
Pundits had to be employed in this country on monthly stipends. Has
anybody seen in this age, here in this country, such profound yearning
for knowledge, such prodigious investment of money for the sake of
light and learning? Max Müller himself has written it in his preface,
that for twenty-five years he prepared only the manuscripts. Then the
printing took another twenty years! It is not possible for an ordinary
man to drudge for fortyfive years of his life with one publication.
Just think of it! Is it an idle fancy of mine to say he is Sayana
himself?
So, according to Vivekananda, there is nothing wrong in reading such translations.
And, moreover, we also do not have other options, unless we educate ourselves in our own language and make ourselves capable enough to translate the Vedas. Only then we can stop relying on the foreigners for making our own scriptures understandable to us.
