Question

下面这句话中的介词短语“without being able to do anything about it”做什么语法成分？

I even went out at midnight with a torch and noted with satisfaction (and surprise) that the ants were still swarming around the sticky tape without being able to do anything about it.（半夜，我还拿着电筒来到花园里，满意地（同时惊奇地）发现那些蚂蚁还围着胶带团团转，无能为力。）——《新概念英语》
两个小疑问：
1，这个介词短语可以替换为“and were unable to do anything about it”么？替换后为从句的并列句；
2，其中“being”是动名词吗？“being able to do anything about it”是做介词的宾语吗？

Answer 1

做的是伴随状语

Answer 2

结构2：名词或代词(主格) + doing
1)My mother cooking in the kitchen, I was doing my homework in my room. （表伴随）我妈妈正在厨房做饭，我在房间里做作业。