Prudential is trying to renegotiate the $35.5bn price tag on the Asian businesses of AIG in a last-ditch attempt to win over some of its biggest investors and head off a “no” vote on its planned takeover of AIA.

　　英国保诚集团(Prudential)正试图重新谈判对美国国际集团(AIG)亚洲业务355亿美元的收购价，以求做出最后努力，争取赢得一些最大股东的支持，防止他们在收购友邦保险(AIA)的问题上投反对票。

　　The UK life assurer has sounded out investors opposed to the deal about whether a cut price would win their favour.

　　这家英国保险商已试探了反对交易的投资者的态度，看降低收购价能否赢得他们的支持。

　　It now hopes to reduce the price to as low as $30bn, according to people familiar with the situation.

　　据知情人士透露，保诚目前希望将收购价降至300亿美元左右。

　　However, even at this lower level some shareholders remain concerned about the costs of the deal and how long it would take to achieve an acceptable return on their investment.

　　不过，即便降至这一水平，一些股东仍担心交易成本，以及自己的投资要多久才能获得可接受的回报率。

　　Many investors accept the strategic rationale for the deal, which would make the Pru by far the biggest foreign insurer in the fast-growing Asian markets and the largest life assurer outside of China. However, a significant number are unhappy with the price.

　　许多投资者认同该交易的战略逻辑：使保诚成为快速增长的亚洲市场中规模最大的外国保险商，以及中国以外最大的寿险商。但相当多的投资者对收购价格表示不满。

　　The Pru needs 75 per cent approval from shareholders.

　　保诚须获得75%股东的同意。

　　People close to the situation said the AIG board and the US government had yet to decide whether to accept a reduced price or scrap the deal and revert to their original plan of listing AIA in Hong Kong.

　　据知情人士透露，AIG董事会及美国政府尚未决定，是接受降价还是放弃交易，重拾让AIA在港上市的最初计划。

　　“It is a close call,” a person familiar with the matter said. “There is less than a 50/50 chance that the deal with Pru gets done. It is easy for us to go forward with an initial public offering when market conditions permit.

　　“胜负难料，”一位知情人士表示。“保诚搞定交易的可能性还不足一半。对我们来说，一旦市场条件允许，进行首次公开发行(IPO)很容易。”

　　“While all the major IPOs in Hong Kong are being pulled, and you could argue that with markets down 10 per cent to 15 per cent, we should be flexible, we think the thesis [in favour of an IPO] is still intact.”

　　“尽管香港一些大型IPO被取消了，而且你可能会说，由于市场下跌10%至15%，我们应该灵活一些，但我们认为[支持IPO的]命题仍然成立。”

　　While disgruntled investors have made it clear to the Pru how unhappy they are with the deal, they are wary of losing Tidjane Thiam, chief executive, and destabilising the company, which would be likely if the deal was voted down.

　　尽管满腹牢骚的投资者清楚地向保诚表明，自己对交易有多么不满，但他们仍不希望失去首席执行官迪德简•蒂亚姆(Tidjane Thiam)，破坏公司的稳定——如果交易被投票否决了，这种情况就相当可能发生。

　　Proxy votes for the Pru deal must be submitted early next week but the mechanics of registering votes with custodians means that some of the biggest investors must vote by tomorrow.

　　针对保诚交易的代理投票必须在下周初提交，但托管人登记投票的操作流程意味着，一些最主要的投资者必须最迟在明天投票。

　　More than 15 per cent of large UK shareholders intend to vote against the deal.

　　逾15%的英国大股东都打算投票反对该交易。