Atâta timp cât fisura rămâne mică, netezim marginea.

In this sentence, atâta timp cât means as long as.

So:

• Atâta timp cât fisura rămâne mică = As long as the crack remains small

It introduces a condition that stays true over a period of time. In many contexts, it can feel both:

• temporal: while
• conditional: provided that / as long as

Here, as long as is the most natural match.

Romanian often expresses this idea with the fixed expression atâta timp cât.

Literally, the parts are roughly:

• atâta = so much / this much
• timp = time
• cât = as / how much / that

But you should learn atâta timp cât as one unit meaning as long as.

It works similarly to English expressions that are not translated word-for-word, such as:

• as long as
• provided that
• so long as

The basic noun is fisură, meaning crack or fissure.

In the sentence, fisura means the crack. Romanian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of putting a separate word like the in front.

So:

• fisură = a crack
• fisura = the crack

This change is normal for many feminine nouns ending in -ă:

• casă → casa = house → the house
• fisură → fisura = crack → the crack

Because it agrees with fisura, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Romanian, adjectives usually agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• sometimes case

Here:

• fisura = feminine singular
• mică = feminine singular form of small

Compare:

• un perete mic = a small wall masculine singular
• o fisură mică = a small crack feminine singular

So mică is feminine because fisura is feminine.

Rămâne is the 3rd person singular present tense of a rămâne = to remain / to stay.

Here it matches fisura:

• fisura rămâne mică = the crack remains small

A quick comparison:

• eu rămân = I remain
• tu rămâi = you remain
• el/ea rămâne = he/she/it remains
• noi rămânem = we remain

So rămâne is used because the subject is singular: fisura.

Romanian commonly uses the present tense in general statements, instructions, and conditions, just like English often does.

So:

• Atâta timp cât fisura rămâne mică = As long as the crack remains small
• netezim marginea = we smooth the edge

This sounds like a general rule, instruction, or procedural statement.

It is similar to English:

• If the crack stays small, we smooth the edge.
• not necessarily will stay / will smooth, even though future meaning may be implied

So the present tense here is completely normal.

Yes. Netezim is the 1st person plural present tense of a netezi, meaning to smooth, to make smooth, or sometimes to level depending on context.

So:

• netezim = we smooth

This we can be:

• a real we = we (the workers / technicians)
• an instructional we, like English we do X next
• a neutral procedural style often used in technical explanations

So in context, it may mean something like:

• we smooth the edge
• the edge is smoothed in a practical instruction style

Because marginea means the edge.

The base noun is:

• margine = edge / margin

With the definite article attached:

• marginea = the edge

Again, Romanian puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

So:

• netezim marginea = we smooth the edge

not just we smooth edge

It can mean both, depending on context.

Common meanings of margine include:

• edge
• border
• margin

In this sentence, edge is the natural translation because we are talking about a physical crack and smoothing its edge.

So:

• marginea here = the edge

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause.

Structure:

• Atâta timp cât fisura rămâne mică = subordinate clause
• netezim marginea = main clause

Romanian usually uses a comma when this kind of clause comes first.

So the sentence is structured like:

• As long as the crack remains small, we smooth the edge.

This is very similar to English, where a comma is also common when the dependent clause comes first.

Yes. Romanian could also place the main clause first:

• Netezim marginea atâta timp cât fisura rămâne mică.

This still means essentially the same thing:

• We smooth the edge as long as the crack remains small.

The version with the condition first often feels a bit clearer or more natural in explanatory or technical writing.

It can feel like both.

Depending on context, atâta timp cât may mean:

• as long as in a conditional sense
• while / for as long as in a time sense

In your sentence, the two ideas overlap:

• while the crack remains small
• provided that the crack remains small

English does the same thing with as long as.

So it is best to understand it as a condition that continues over time.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• Atâta ≈ uh-TUH-tuh
• timp ≈ teemp
• cât ≈ kuht with Romanian â, a central vowel not exactly like English
• fisura ≈ fee-SOO-rah
• rămâne ≈ ruh-MUH-neh
• mică ≈ MEE-kuh
• netezim ≈ neh-teh-ZEEM
• marginea ≈ mar-JEE-nyah

A few important notes:

• ă is a short central vowel, something like the a in sofa
• â is a deeper central vowel with no exact English equivalent
• gi in marginea sounds like jee

Most naturally, it sounds like a general instruction or procedural statement.

For example, it could appear in:

• a repair manual
• a technical explanation
• workshop instructions

Because of netezim = we smooth, it does not sound like a single spontaneous action as much as a rule or recommended procedure:

• As long as the crack remains small, we smooth the edge.

So a learner should read it as something like:

• This is what we do in this situation.

Yes, depending on nuance.

Some alternatives are:

• cât timp = while / as long as
• dacă = if
• în timp ce = while

But they are not all identical.

For example:

• Cât timp fisura rămâne mică, netezim marginea.
  = very similar, as long as / while

• Dacă fisura rămâne mică, netezim marginea.
  = more simply if the crack remains small

The original atâta timp cât strongly conveys as long as, with a continuing condition.