They mention that several prior contacts have occurred, but no meaningful interaction has ever been achieved because the way the Tamarian's communicate could not be understood. The Enterprise makes contact with a Tamarian ship in orbit around the planet El-Adrel. Though the universal translator can translate their words, the Tamarians communicate only through allegory, which baffles the Enterprise crew because they do not understand this yet nor do they even know the stories to which the Tamarians are referring.