US motorists, angered by soaring gasoline prices, are resorting increasingly to theft. When the price of gasoline goes up, the number of drive-offs goes up……. Many service stations were starting to require payment up front.
该报道中,drive-off 指a motorist pulls up at a gas station's pump, fills the car's tank, and then speeds off without paying for the fuel.(驾驶者加油以后不付钱就疾驰而去的行为),在这个语境中可以理解为“偷油”(gasoline theft)。Payment up front就是“预先付费”的意思,有时候也用prepayment来表示同样的意思。“预付的费用”则是prepaid charges/fee。