“束手无策的”可以用英语表达为 “at a loss as to what to do” （更侧重描述人茫然无措的状态）或者 “helpless” （更简洁，强调无助感） ，也可表述为 “devoid of effective measures” （侧重于表示缺乏有效办法这一客观情况） 。以下为具体示例：
At a loss as to what to do：
He was at a loss as to what to do when faced with this complex problem.（面对这个复杂的问题，他束手无策。）
Helpless：
The villagers felt helpless in the face of the natural disaster.（面对自然灾害，村民们感到束手无策 。）
Devoid of effective measures：
The team was devoid of effective measures to deal with the sudden crisis.（这个团队在应对突发危机时束手无策 。）