【原句】Mary and Ann were neck and neck in the spelling contest.【解说】Neck and neck这个表达出自于跑马。在赛马场上，马匹凭一个颈位之差取胜，叫做The horse wins by a neck。假如两匹马neck and neck，那就是“并驾齐驱”的意思了。所以这个短语指双方在竞争中“势均力敌，不相上下”。
