Need help with the meaning of "何もしない" in this sentence


So I was looking at a lesson from the "Complete Guide for Japanese" written by
Tae Kim about how to express [making an effort towards
something.](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/complete/trying) In that
lesson, there is a short comic that starts with the next sentence:

> アリス：知ってた？仕事もしないし、学校にも行かない何もしない人達をニートというらしいよ

Tae Kim provides the next translation;

> Alice: Did (you) know. (I) hear (that you) call people (who) don’t do things
> like go to work or go to school NEET.

There are 2 thing that I am having difficulty understanding. The first one is
why 何もしない translates to "don't do things like..". Wouldn't it have to
translate into something like "do nothing" or "don't do anything"? The entire
translation being something like:

> Alice: Did (you) know. (I) hear (that you) call people (who) don't work,
> don't go to school (and) don't do anything NEET.

The second thing, and most probably related with my first question, is why
学校にも行かない何もしない is a sole phrase? If my interpretation of the comic it's okay,
shouldn't 学校にも行かない and 何もしない be 2 diferent parts of the list of things that
makes a NEET and be separated by a coma like with 仕事もしないし on that same
sentence?




That English translation is not very literal. As you said, 何もしない means "not to
do anything".

In your case, you can think two relative clauses are nested like this:

> [ 学校にも行かない [ 何もしない人達 ] ]
>
> [ [ people who don't do anything ], who don't even go to school ]

Alternatively, you can think this is a list of independent relative clauses.
This is not common, but occasionally happens in pompous or stilted sentences.
For example, compare the following three sentences:

  1. 真のリーダーとは、常に周囲に気を配り、決断ができ、人を成長させる人のことである。  
A true leader is one who is always aware of his or her surroundings, can make
decisions, and develop others.

  2. 真のリーダーとは、常に周囲に気を配って、決断ができて、人を成長させる人のことである。
  3. 真のリーダーとは、常に周囲に気を配る、決断ができる、人を成長させる人のことである。  
A true leader is one who is always aware of his or her surroundings, who can
make decisions, and who develops others.

They all mean the same thing. Sentence 1 and Sentence 2 each has only one long
relative clause with three verbs. Sentence 3 has three independent relative
clauses, which is not common but might sound cooler.




That English translation is not very literal. As you said, 何もしない means "not to
do anything".

In your case, you can think two relative clauses are nested like this:

> [ 学校にも行かない [ 何もしない人達 ] ]
>
> [ [ people who don't do anything ], who don't even go to school ]

Alternatively, you can think this is a list of independent relative clauses.
This is not common, but occasionally happens in pompous or stilted sentences.
For example, compare the following three sentences:

  1. 真のリーダーとは、常に周囲に気を配り、決断ができ、人を成長させる人のことである。  
A true leader is one who is always aware of his or her surroundings, can make
decisions, and develop others.

  2. 真のリーダーとは、常に周囲に気を配って、決断ができて、人を成長させる人のことである。
  3. 真のリーダーとは、常に周囲に気を配る、決断ができる、人を成長させる人のことである。  
A true leader is one who is always aware of his or her surroundings, who can
make decisions, and who develops others.

They all mean the same thing. Sentence 1 and Sentence 2 each has only one long
relative clause with three verbs. Sentence 3 has three independent relative
clauses, which is not common but might sound cooler.

