各执一词 to stick to one's guns
Explanation
指双方坚持各自不同的说法，意见不一致。
Refers to a situation where both parties insist on their own different versions and there are disagreements.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有一对兄弟因家产分配问题发生争执。哥哥认为应该按照长子继承制，多分得家产；弟弟则坚持平均分配。兄弟俩各执一词，争吵不休，最终闹到了县衙。县令明察秋毫，了解到哥哥勤劳持家，弟弟却游手好闲，于是判决哥哥多分得家产，弟弟不服，却又无法反驳哥哥的理由。这件事就成了当地茶余饭后的谈资，大家纷纷感叹兄弟之间因为家产问题而各执一词，实在令人惋惜。
In the Tang Dynasty, two brothers had a dispute over the division of their family property. The elder brother believed he should receive a larger share according to the system of primogeniture, while the younger brother insisted on equal division. The two brothers stuck to their respective positions, arguing incessantly, until they finally took their case to the county magistrate. The magistrate, after careful consideration, learned that the elder brother had diligently managed the household, while the younger brother had lived a life of idleness. Hence, he ruled that the elder brother should receive the larger portion of the property, a decision the younger brother resented yet was unable to refute. This story became a subject of discussion in the local community, with people lamenting the brothers' disagreement over the division of their inheritance.
Usage
用于描写双方意见相左，争执不下。
Used to describe when both sides have opposing views and cannot reach an agreement.
Examples
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关于事故原因，双方各执一词，谁也说服不了谁。
guānyú shìgù yuányīn, shuāngfāng gè zhí yī cí, shuí yě shuōfú bù liǎo shuí
Both parties stuck to their own accounts of the accident, neither able to convince the other.
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目击证人各执一词，让法官难以判断真相。
mùjì zhèngrén gè zhí yī cí, ràng fǎguān nán yǐ pànduàn zhēnxiàng
Eyewitnesses gave conflicting accounts, making it difficult for the judge to determine the truth