star trek - Universal Translator: Sometimes working instantly, sometimes not at all?

During the different franchise series (excluding ENT) there are only very few encounters with new or unknown species the crews of the ships don't understand. Most often even the most alien species utilizing recognizable speech seem to speak English (or whatever dubbing you're watching).

There have been explanations on why the Universal Translator sometimes seem to skip words or whole sentences.

In short it somehow picks up brain waves and the like and uses them to translate by intention/supposed context.

But how about Voyager traveling through Delta quadrant, which hasn't been explored yet? It's a first contact situation almost every single time. Yet the universal translator seems to pick up their language instantly, even on real first contacts, greetings, etc. The translator probably isn't able to scan brain waves etc. when other, more important systems (like target scanners, sensors, etc.) can't get through shields either.

Also I'm afraid it still doesn't explain situations when some of the crewmen are outside without any scanning gadgets on them. Sometimes even without their com badges.

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