there was nothing to do but do sth。除了做……之外，没有其它事可以做。例如：There was nothing much to do in the evening but read. 晚上除了读书以外无事可做。
There was nothing to do.没有什么可做的.
There was nothing to be done.没有什么要去完成的.
这个区别就在于后面的 to do 和 to be done.
to do 强调的是还没有做的事情,前面加上了nothing 就是说没有还没有做的事情,于是整个句子翻译下来就是：“没什么事情可做的,无所事事”.
to be done 强调的是想完成却还没完成,前面加上了 nothing 就是说没有要去完成的,于是整个句子翻译下来就是：“没有什么要去完成的”.
什么都没有
The doctor said there was nothing wrong with me.
医生说我什么毛病也没有。
She shook it to make sure there was nothing inside.
她把它晃了晃，以确定里面没有东西。
There was nothing they could do, outside of hoping things would get better.
除了盼望情况好转，他们无能为力。
The doctor reassured him that there was nothing seriously wrong.
医生安慰他说，没什么严重的病。
There was nothing else for it but to resign.
除了辞职，没有别的办法。